Skyward Sword: Freed from Fate
by Dark Glass01
Summary: Sometimes, fate isn't as powerful as it thinks. When an accident causes Link's demise, the mantle of the hero is going to have to settle for whomever happens to be close by, even if they're completely unqualified. Yet, out of this cosmic joke can arise something magical new fate and awakening for a formerly emotionless sword spirit. (Remake of Skyward Sword: Not as Planned)
1. Prologue:A Stone's Story

In the Begining, before the first moment of the first day passed, the world hung in an endless void of Potential. Yet besides this Potential there was nothing: no sun shone its light over this world, nor did any plant grow from the ground, had there been any firm ground for it to grow upon. And it appeared that this would go on for eternity, until out from the edges of this chaos there emerged three golden figures; goddesses of unknown origin.

The first was Din, whose figure was swollen and hot from the strong, burning fire which she unleashed upon the void, setting it alright and creating Sun. As light washed over the featureless surface, Din found herself infuriated by its wasted potential and sterile stillness, rage flaring up within her driving the goddess to action. Decending forcefully to the surface, she used her Power to shape the northingness like clay to formthe solid and burning earth raising the mountains high and dashing that which displeased her to sand as a testament to her might. One such piece of earth, a greyish stone of no particular importance, was placed deep within the top layer of that world, away from both the searing heat of the depths and the eroding airs of the surface.

The next was Nayru, who's slim figure glistened like the waves as she examined that which Din had created, its rough and unpredictable nature making her feel too anxious for her liking.. In her endless Wisdom, she brought order to the chaos: telling each and every one of Din's creations what it must and must not do. These dictates became the natural laws, both seen and unseen, and set in motion the ticking clock of the universe by which they were enforced. It is only by her words that the fire burns and goes out, the air give life, and the rains fall from the sky. To this stone she gave the direction of stillness, to be hard and unyielding, except when acted upon by another force for long enough.

Finally came Farore, a wild deity who leaped and bound with endless passion. Dancing about the earth, she felt a deep sadness as the sterile monotony Nayru ticked on hopelessly. Courageously, she spited both her sisters by spreading her essence, granting a spark of life to the fertile soil, spreading the first seeds and molding the first animals out of clay. By her vigor was breath forced into them to grant life, and gave purpose and a will to her sibling's creations so they might bring change to the world as the Goddess had. However, her powers did not reach as deep in the earth as the stone, and so it stayed cold and lifeless, never to see the light of the sun.

Their duties done, the three golden goddesses returned to the heavens and their unknown calling, shedding the Form they had taken in order to manage their new world. This Form was lovingly shaped by each goddess, the three parts maintaining a fraction of their former occupant's great power. This relic would come to be known as the Triforce and placed within a Sacred Realm over which would one day be built the Temple of Time; far to the west of where the stone lay.

Over the course of thousands of years, the races of the world flourished; Humans, Gorons, Bokoblins, Parella, Mogma, Kikwi, and others, forging mighty empires and cities; The Gorons formed the Empire of Eldin in the north, erecting great temples in the volcanoes and forging the greatest crafts among the races, dedicating them to the glory of Din. Lanayru ruled the lush lands of the west; its wise scholar-kings delving deep into the mysteries of Nayru's decrees, liberated from mundane tasks by artificial men of their own creation. The old nation of Hyrule, clustered around the center of the world, stood directly over the location of the rock and nurtured the fertile ground, giving freely of its bounty to their neighbors and beloved by all. None of the these great nations would escape suffering however as the great demon called Demise, seeking to obtain the legendary Triforce and use its power to usurp the status of the absent deities, took up a divine blade which guided him to the surface.. His infernal horde emerged from cracks deep in the earth, laying waste to the great empires of the land who had grown used to peace. It was only by the grace of the Goddess Hylia and her champions; a mighty Goron warrior from the Empire, a master puzzlemaker and engineer from Lanayru, and an archer cloaked in green from the Hyrulian wilds, that mortals were able to withstand the initial onslaught of greater demons. As the people of the surface shifted to fighting the lesser minions, great pits where dug in the earth to seek out stone for defenses, and the stone was eventually revealed to the air, just as the quarry it was buried in came under attack. In the great battle that ensued, in which the demonic hoards reigned victorious, the stone took a glancing blow form a falling hammer; not a lot, just enough to cause a microscopic crack that nobody could see.

Eventually, when the demonic forces seemed on the verge of victory, the Goddess Hylia rounded up the remaining humans onto a large chunk of earth, including the stone, and raised it up above the clouds so they could be kept behyond Demise's reach, in hopes that some of the world might yet be saved. Yet against all odds and baring but tokens of her divinity, the champions rallied what remained of the mortal armies and, though driving them to the edge of utter destruction,never the less defeating the hoard once and for all, sealing away Demise along with the very blade which had lead him to the surface.

In the sky, the great chunks of risen earth carried humanity on for many centuries, their inhabitants eventually finding their memories of the world clouds fading into myth, growing more fantastic and tainted with each rebelling. They knew nothing of Din, Nayru, or Farore; only the Goddess Hylia, who held dominion over the sky. In their piety the humans erected on their land a great statue of Her Grace, using all the grey stone they could fine to construct it. Yet, in the process of pulling it out, a drop of water seeped into the microscopic crack in the stone, not a lot, but it slowly and surely began to wear away on the rock even as it was placed on the inner ceiling of the statue's secret chamber, every slight wind blowing the water about a bit more and eroding a little more of the stone, who's dust now started to erode the crack more, growing over hundreds of years. It still remained in the statue, yes, but it was very unstable, and even the slightest disturbance may cause it to fall.

Just as Nayru intended stone to work


	2. Chp I: Life as it Was

-Author Notes- First and foremost, I don't own The Legend of Zelda, nor any concept or character unique to that series. These things are the property of Nintendo, and are not being used to earn a profit in any way. If for some reason I made money off this story, I'd be more than happy to see the creators of this series use it to bring us more and better entries. Don't sue me... please.?

Maybe there are some of you who are getting a strange sense of deja vu upon seeing this story. Perhaps vaguely remembering a similar story with a similar title you read years ago. Well, you aren't wrong: **Skyward Sword: Not as Planned** , like the game it was based on, was original published nearly six years ago, as my first submission to the Fanfiction community. It came from the mind of my 18 year old self; still in High School with more passion than writing experience, and looking back I'm both jealous of the ease I could find the time and motivation to write, and frustrated at how blunt I was and how often I see my personal desires at the time force elements into the story that don't nessicerily 'fit'. Yet... after reading some inspiring fics here, falling into a very rough patch in my life, and then finally picking up Breath of the Wild and seeing Fi rusting, neglected by Link and waiting silently for her true master to pick her up once again... well, it was too much.

So, here I am: restarting this with a full rewrite of my earlier chapters under a fresh publishing. This time, I'm starting the story with a full knowledge of Skyward Sword, a fresh perspective, and an aknowledgement that while I'll do my best to make Cana his own character rather than a self-insert, I'm only human and my own deep crush on Fi means I might falter at times. In fact, its because of my desire to refine her and Cana's story that I welcome any and all critiques and suggestions on how I can fix my writing: either grammatically or in terms of story. Of course, that dosen't mean I don't also appreciate compliments. This story will be rated T for depictions of violence and the damages it causes, as well as elements of romanace and allusions to darker themes. I won't make any unrealistic promises about updates, but I hope you'll trust me to put in my best efforts.

This story is dedicated to old friends lost over the years, or parts of your younger self you want back. It takes work to get them back, but there is no richer reward.

* * *

The island of Skyloft; a lonely baston of stone and dirt floating high above the storm-wracked and lifeless layer of clouds. How high, nobody alive could say or even cared to learn. Those who tried had long ago concluded that history here was a next to pointless field of study; what few dusty books they could find unable to tell them how long their people have been in the air, or even that that there was any other place for them to be. What little lore one could find have was too obscured by the mists of myth to be useful; telling tales which suggested ancient rulers who lived for centuries, slaying sky-beasts that never existed or if they did had been driven off long before. Far better, the average Skyloftian rightly concluded, to leave those questions for the great whale Leviathis to ponder, and deal with the everyday issues so the sleepy city plod along in peace.

In many of those same people's opinion, the sleepiest place of all was The Lumpy Pumpkin; a quaint, lived-in sort bar of sorts clinging to one of the larger sky-islands just off Skyloft proper. For most of the day its owner, Pumm, and his daughter Kina tended to the place in the same way it had been tended to for decades: cooking up the restraunt's signature pumpkin soup and dusting the paint-chipped wood, serving the small number of knights and leisure fliers who stopped for a rest. However, if you visited the place before dusk, just as the first hints of orange and pink tinted the sky, there would sometimes be a little spark of something slightly out of the ordinary, as the peak hours rolled in.

Tonight was not one of those times, and understandably so. The trainees at the Knight Acadamy where ordinarily a major part of that evening energy but with the Wing Ceremony planned for tomorrow they were all out flying, making use of every extra minute of practice possible rather than weighing themselves down with a hearty bowl of heavy soup. So, under the light of the glimmering chandler there were only the die-hard regulars; the boy Keet and Rusta, the town coot, along the less frequent patrons: Orielle, Knight Commander Eagus, and a slightly depressed-looking young man, thin of frame and dressed in knee-high breeches and a midnight blue longshirt, starring thoughtfully into his soup bowl.

"Master Eagus," Keet tilted his bottle a bit as he made a respectful gesture towards the knight. "What's the line up looking like for the Ceremony tomorrow?" It was an honest question, well meant and innocent, but the strange boy's grip on his spoon tightened slightly, his eyes focusing on a particularly interesting bit of herb.

"Can't say for certain," Eagus shrugged, talking half to himself. "I've been pushing that boy Pipit to at least give it a go, but he just doesn't seem to have the stuff," A slightly remorseful look crossed his face, before he regained his composure and continued. "Other then that, we've got Groose, Cawlin, Strich, and Link. Not the best I've seen, but good boys."

"I've seen Groose flying about a lot lately," Orielle chimed in softly, a bit of black under her eyes, hands loose on the bowl. "He's got to be in the best shape by now. Link on the other hand…" sounding not quite sure with herself, she paused there, taking in a mouthful of soup as an excuse.

"The boy does have talent," Eagus pointed out, sliding his empty bottle away with one hand while beckoning for another round with the other. "Admittedly, he hasn't been training as much as I would have liked, but I wouldn't count him out just yet. That Loftwing of his is truly amazing."

"A Loftwing aen't nothing with a bad rider," Rusta forced his way into the conversation, voice crackling a bit, before letting out a deep, rancid belch. "Seen it more times than any of you youngsters. Some green kid jumps off a diving platform and gives a little whistle, thinking he can just land on his bird, before"

"Your soup, Commander," Kina conveniently stepped in, setting down another bottle of soup on the table. "We'll just put it on your tab, alright?"

" Ah yes," Eagus's hand rummaged into his wallet for a moment, taking a general feel, Keet taking the chance to speak up. "Link isn't that kind of boy though," He started to lead the conversation back. "When he flies, it's for real. The material knights are made out of. You were a bit of bit of a slacker in your own day, weren't you Eagus?" Laugher soon filled the table, a fist coming down and rattling about the bowls and bottles. Yet, the boy remained silent, giving only a slight cough as the noise started to die down, the conversation stopping enough for him to speak.

"I'm not sure," the words came out solemnly, his voice smooth and quick. "Link knows his stuff, though. If somebody has to win, I'd rather it be him." With that, the boy stood up, turned away, and headed for the exit, letting in a short, pleasant breeze as he opened the doors.

For everybody else, the disruption was quickly forgotten, and the place fell back into and evening lull. Yet, for the boy, it was not over, and as he tossed himself into the air, grabbing onto a slightly scrawny, burgundy Loftwing, the fact that his name was not spoken that night kept haunting his flight.

That name was Cana, Cana Reis.


	3. Chp II: Life as it Could Be

His sleep was short and dreamless.

Cana awoke the next morning to the feeling of Loftwing down on his back. He sighed, almost mistaking the soft feathers for his bed in his semi-conscious state. The light stung as it flooded his groggy eyes, squinted to protect themselves as he shifted up and off the bird. The world around him started to take shape… this was an islet, Skyloft's distinct silhouette plainly lit by the rising sun. "Hey boy, you holding up?" he looked down at his Loftwing, who was just pushing itself back onto its feet and shaking the stiffness of its joints. "Of course, you can't tell me," Cana responded to the silence, giving his arms a good stretch. The bird then tilted its head forward and expanded its wings, mirroring its master and feathers revealing the strong updraft; perfect for a day of flying.

Only then did the weight of day's event hit him again, swiftly dampening his mood. With a depressed sigh he remounted his Loftwing. Digging his legs deep in for flight, Cana let out a quick click and thrust his heel into his bird's side, driving it forward and soaring into the open sky. Flying was a bit of a difficult sensation to describe, especially on a Loftwing, but Cana took to it better than most. His hair flying back as he moved through the air, like short wisps of black smoke. That's what he liked best, feeling his hair try to blow away, and it was well worth the occasional breath of cloud-dust, and on any other day would have downright enjoyable. But today Skyloft approached far too quickly, the people below taking on distinct shapes and going about what was clearly more than their daily routines. Cana lead his Loftwing to the diving platform around the plaza by pulling gently at its neck, wings pumping closer to his face as the bird let itself down.

"Good boy," his fingers stroked the underside of the mount's neck, lightly rubbing the downier feathers there as his feet settled back into the feeling of having solid ground beneath him. The latent connection between Loftwing and master probed at his mind, silently informing him the creature enjoyed his affection before watching the noble beast return to the air, a pulse of air blowing past his face as it flapped away.

For the moment the plaza remained mostly empty, though Groose and his pair of lackeys where hanging around a low standing wall ; joking amongst themselves like friends do. They didn't bother to look as Cana passed by, trying to focus his eyes on the trees as he stewed in his own thoughts. The air smelled earthy, a sign that the pumpkin harvest was coming soon, the heart flowers and stamina fruit already in bloom. _A perfect day just to take a walk_ he thought relaxingly, wandering up the river shore. A cluster of gossiping housewives hogged the bridge and incessantly chattering. He wandered past the Bazaar, the normally vibrant building closed up for the Ceremony. He even took a short trip up towards the Academy, Instructor Horwelle playing with a small Remlit. The Academy itself loomed oppressively over him, but second the The Goddess's statue In the hearts of the city. He gave the build a wistful yet slightly pained look as he tried to pass as quickly as possible, one hand on his hips the other hanging loosely. Yet before he he pass the sound of wood thudding to the floor came from the sparing hall, causing him to stop just long enough to catch...

"Ehem," somebody cleared their throat just off to the side. Cana turned his head to catch the source of the sound.

"Hello Karane," he tossed out passively, recognizing her presence. "Can I help you?"

Smiling innocently, Karane shifted her stance, the breeze blowing up the hem of her tunic slightly betraying her sassy intentions. "Actually, there is. I'm glad to see somebody finally noticed. " For a moment, there was silence, the two just looking at each other with Horwell cooing to Mia in the background.

"Oh," the insinuation of her tone and the look in her eyes finally dawning on him. He drew one of the great wooden doors open, catching the slight bob of fiery hair as Karane nodded. He motioned towards the door, watching the schoolgirl walk before stopping at the opening to give her a wide smile.

"That's so chiv…" she managed to stop herself; biting her tongue mid-word. "Gentlemanly of you. Certainly more than _some_ people who passed today." She did look a bit bitter as she emphasized the word, matching Cana's expression at her miststep.

The door stayed open, neither of them moving until Cana decided to break the awkward silence. "I don't mean to pry, but shouldn't you be down in the plaza?" He inquired, his free hand smoothing out the light wrinkles in his longshirt. "The Ceremony should be starting pretty soon. I can't imagine you'd want to miss it" There was another conversation going on down by the sparring hall, but Cana couldn't see who it was. One of the voices sounded a bit like Pipit's, but he couldn't bet sure.

"You'd think so, but there's been a bit of an issue with Link's Loftwing. The exam has been delayed until its solved. Looks like he's working on it right now, in fact." Cana could see the older girl looking over his shoulder, seeing something he coulden't. Straightening her back, she walked into the building looking as though she haden't been inconvenienced at all. "If you can though, you really should try to catch the Ceremony when it does happen. Its quite a show of knighthood they put on out there."

Though she showed no outward sign of realizing her mistake, he didn't give her a chance to correct herself. "Perhaps I will," his voice growing flat and emotionless as he suppressed a frustration flaring up inside. "I suppose I need something to get a bit excitement in my life." With that the door closed as he continued on his way, trying to put as much distance between himself and the Acadamy as possible.

On his way back to the plaza Cana finally managed subdued that anger; forcing it down with a few deep breaths, but still it smoldered. For what seemed like the umpteenth time he mumbled to himself in defeat, "Why in the sky. Just when I think I can get away there it is... " Passing the river once again, the women having broken up their gaggle, he speed walked over the bridge, trying to pass by the people mulling, excited crowd without drawing attention. However, he did notice at least one person who wasen't part of the spectators; sprinting towards the caves just across the lake. _Hopefully they remembered to take a weapon,_ Cana silently wishing him luck as he reflexively rubbed his thigh. _It's dangerous to go into the caves alone._

* * *

In the darkness of the Chamber of the Goddess, a soft cerulean light pulsed into existence. It cast a glow over the room, barely enough to illuminate the world behyond the pedestal that was its source, but the entity inside diden't care. Optics was but one of dozens of the sensors she was equip with; the others easily picking up the slack during this brief flicker into awareness. Calmly, free of the burden of will, the instructions and thoughts flowed effortless through her brain.

 _Chronological trigger 001 engaged_ the entity thought to itself as its senses slowly starting to take in the world around it; sight covered in a thin sheen of purple. _Open area dimensions- 100x100x25 ft. Oxygen level- Breathable. Light levels- Substandard. Additional Illumination recommended, but not required for normal activity._ The light pulsed rapidly, almost as if alive, yet made no sound. _Environment hospitable to human life, now awaiting chronological trigger 002. Estimated time of activation, Twelve hour. Re-entering sleep mode  
_

Then, as quickly as it had come, the moment of consciousness passed. Her pulse slowly faded out and the light went with it, leaving the her body and mind shrouded in darkness.

* * *

"Come on Link!" One voice shouted from atop The Light Tower. "You can do this!"

"Show that fool your tailfeathers Groose!" Another chimed in from bit further back in the crowd.

The town had mustered around the plaza over the course of the past few hours, eager to see the Wing Ceremony. Even though it took hours; Instructor Orwelle handling the situatation masterfully despite the increasingly impatient jeers, eventually everything was in order. The participants all stood at the ready, still with anticipation, lips pursed for the inevitable whistle. Karane was there, watching carefully but still sparing a few glances around, eyes never quite going over Cana. The young man had sat himself down among the heart flowers, snacking casually at a piece of stamina fruit as he bounced the conflicting urges to watch until the end or retreat to somewhere more quieter. The cheering stopped, everybody's eyes moving towards Orwelle as he raised his fingers to his lips and let out a shrill whistle, the Academy students dashing forward like men possessed. Diving off the platform, the reappeared only moments later atop their Loftwings much to the delight of the crowds.

Quickly, the birds started to flap off into the distance, chasing the minuscule glint of gold, diving and weaving in a sort of dance that the crowd chattering in excitement and almost everybody crowding closer to the edge of the city to get a better view of the action. Groose's golden Loftwing and Link's Crimson seemed to stay close the whole time with neither willing to give up on the statue. Taking other chunk off the plant, Cana watched intently, trying to sort through the jealousy he was feeling.

"Cana," a softer voice spoke, never really touch his ear but more floating past. "That is your name, right?"

Turning his head, even with his eyes slightly glazed Cana recognized the face almost immediately. How could he not: it was the Headmaster's daughter Zelda, leaning over him and adorned in the ceremonial cloths for those chosen to represent Her Grace. A fitting role for the closest thing Skyloft had to nobility. "That's me," his voice was a little empty, uncertain how to feel towards the popular girl's approach."What's up?" He rotated the fruit absentmindedly, head tilting slightly so he could still catch the action.

There was a hint of something in Zelda's eyes; warm pity or confusion he couldn't say, but she only missed a single beat before going on. "I needed to just get away from it all and reset a moment. Things have been so busy this week I just... need a moment of peace." She sat down a few feet away, resting her hands on her knees and looking him over. "You sure know how how to find privacy, don't you? Not really in the spirit of things this year?" She was clearly trying to express sympathy, but to Cana's ears it came across as condicending, setting off something in his head.

"No," his reply was short and simple, looking out longingly at the dueling Loftwings "Can't say I am." In the distance, Link almost got his hands on the statue, but appeared to be blown off by a stray gust, a sound of disappointment coming from the crowd alongside many cheers. "After all, watching is usually less fun then doing." He sounded a bit jaded, eyes leaving the contest only sparingly to meet with Zelda's. It appeared as though she tried to speak , but was drowned out by a roar from the audience, leaving her to wait for a moment to move before she spoke, the voice coming from his side.

"That's true," Zelda sounding a little disappointed, casting her gaze on the wide cloudscape. "I mean... there's so much out there to explore, right? So much to do," she sighed, shaking her head. "Don't spend all your time feeling sorry for yourself though. Sure, not everybody is destined to be a knight, but there's got to be something worthwhile for you. ."

In the end, it was Link who won, presenting the statue back to the instructor in his typical silent fashion. Cana had watched as the competition thickened, something starting to fly through the air between the Loftwings. The whole crowd had been boxed together at the top of the Light Tower by the end, cheering their lungs out as it came down to the wire. Link must have jumped off the Goddess statue sometime later too, as was tradition, but nobody showed up for that. Nobody was allowed to see him do that.

However, a few hours later nobody had seen them anyways.


	4. Chp III: The Unexpected

Nobody noticed at first.

It wasn't unusual for people not to be seen for hours or occasionally days at a time, if they were old enough to ride their Loftwing. There was simply so much empty sky to fly through and islands to explore that a person could keep themselves occupied for that long, especially if they were going off with somebody else. People did notice a rather heavily covered knight flying up with a figure draped over his Loftwing, but that was just him doing his job; not even close to abnormal enough for worry.

Instead, there was celebration. The town's cupboards where empited as bottles of juiced stamina fruit saved for the occasion; the closest thing to alcohol Skyloft had, where broken out half in celebration of the Ceremony and half for the desire to simply celebrate. The noise of clinking glass and boisterous laughter seemed to almost permeate the town, becoming as much a part of it as the rock or the buildings. It gave the whole place an aura of cheer, a bit of urbanism in the otherwise pastoral community.

A vast majority of this sound was radiating from the Bazar, as might have been expected. After all, it was the only building in town large enough to host a party of any real size, since the Lumpy Pumpkin couldn't be reached at night. It was hardly recognizable, after everybody had put their hand to it; the potion shop having had its display pots moved all around, filled to the brim with juiced stamina potion, the gaudy decorations stored in the western side brought out and strung, the gear generally laid out replaced with snacks of all stripes, and Sparrot's crystal ball surrounded by candles, sending out flickering beams of light in all directions. It was the sort of place anybody could go and feel welcome, drown away their troubles, and get a fresh start in the morning.

So, obviously, this is where Cana had decided to go, and watch.

Sitting, slouching over slightly, his eyes wandered about the building from the safety of his spot atop the Scrap Shop's usual counter, taking in all the trouble people managed to get themselves into. Peatrice had drunk at least five bottles of juice by now, and the twitching and fidgeting had already begun, her chair rattling on the slab beneath her. Beedle stood out quite a bit too, having taken the night off and trying to dance around on his already tired legs, though he had to admit there where rather impressive. Even the ordinarily cloistered Greba had decided to attend her son Gondo tonight, her hands still wet and wrinkly from all the laundry she'd done. It was a sport he took part in often, something he called "people watching". It didn't take any special skills or training, just two eyes and a sense of humor.

"Go Beedle!" Pipit gave a good whistle as Beedle swung to the ground, spinning himself on his admittedly bulbous head. The whole dance floor started to attempt the same thing, most of the patrons "drunkenly" failing with rather humorous crashes to the ground, followed by streams of laughter. After Dodoh tried and failed, bouncing back up on his massive belly and his clown-like face giving a grin, even Cana couldn't help laughing along with them, almost falling back off the counter as he did so.

"Thank you!" Beedle graciously joked in his trademark voice as he bounced back to his feet, bowing to much applause, a few green rupees flying in his direction. Convinced by his own participation, Cana jumped up onto his feet, heading in the general direction of the floor and scooping up a serving of juice on his way over, walking firmly and confidently.

"Hey Jakamar," Gondo yelled out to the lanky artist, swinging his surprised mother into his arms. "Let's get us something a little slow for the youngins!" An almost universal call of approval followed, although it sounded like it was fueled by the juice more than anything else. Jakamar, leaning over his fiddle, looked a bit concerned by this, scratching at his temple and wetting his lips.

"Can't say I'm very good at that," he admitted, shrugging helplessly, spinning the instrument on his lap. "You may want to bring in Zelda. She's the one who's good with that kind of thing."

"But she isen't here right now," Peatrice looked up from the table, speaking quickly and amusedly. "Because she's out with Link to get a little alone time, isn't she? I bet she is, that little…"

"Whooo," Eagus's hand slapped down onto her, leading her to look up, eyes a bit too wide for her face. "Maybe you've been hitting it a bit too hard. I'll get you home, ok?" With something that was a half grunt, half squeal, Peatrice set on him, jumping up and pushing him back, laughing slightly hysterically, disrupted only when she stopped to hiccup. It was a rather humorous fight; his fist coming up to her shoulder, her trying to kick him in the shins only to wince when she hit metal, and then Eagus finally putting her down with a solid blow to the arm, sending her spinning giddily into the gear shop, a small pile of Deku seeds falling down and hitting her head in rapid succession, her head rolling back in a sound knockout.

"My shop!" Rupin pranced over, hopping angrily as he scooped up several more of his fallen supplies, panting in fright. Taking the bundle of arrows and shields, he looked over at Eagus, spitting a bit with his speech. "Get this woman out of here!" A vain throbbed in his forehead, showing he was serious.

"Alrightly," Eagus smiled, patting Rupin on the head. "Don't get all hopping mad about this." The joke would have fallen relatively flat most of the time, but to the pipped state of the audience, it came off as a riot, nearly everybody falling over themselves. "Now," he looked out, waving to the general area. "Is anybody sober enough to help me out?"

With that, the sound died, as people started to look at one another, half the eyes in the room twitching and the other have sunk. Clearly, nearly the entire place had taken more than their fair share off the bottle, and just decided to ignore him, going back to their revelry. After a few moments, of waiting, Eagus was about to hoist her over his shoulder and go out alone when a hand touched his shoulder.

"I've only had one," Cana looked up as Eagus turned his head, removing his hand from the shoulder and instead lifting up Peatrice's arms. "Somebody's got to keep the Remlit away, right?" Smiling genuinely, he watched as Eagus silently took her feet, hoisting the women up into the air, her middle sagging slightly as they pulled aside the curtain, Eagus leading the way out into the cold dark night.

The air washed over them as they headed out, the light from the torches revealing the river in the distance. "So," Cana finally spoke, trying to start up conversation to distract from the weight that he was starting to feel on his arms. "Link's going to be in the senior class, eh?"

Eagus didn't respond for a moment, though he made a little noise under his breath that made it clear he was worried. "He might be," he mused, trying to sound strong. "I talked to the headmaster earlier, told me Link had gotten into a nasty competition with a tornado and lost." A Chu Chu slid along the sidewalk on the other side of the river, Eagus instinctually trying to reach for his sword before remembering he had Peatrice in his arms. "Still," he continued, Cana recovering his balance from the little maneuver. "He's a strong kid, he'll get through."

"He sure is," Cana nodded, blinking once, catching something in the corner of his eye. What had that been. His head swung to the left, eyes turning downward to the ledges below the Statue of the Goddess. "You see that?" he stopped walking, following the blue light as it floated across the outcropping, a shadow skirting along the edges of it.

"That Chu Chu?" Eagus inquired, turning his own head around, eyes going sharp as he looked at it. "That's," he stuttered out the word, voice tinged with confusion. "That's certainly strange. I better go check it out," Sliding Peatrice's legs to the ground, the Commander drew his blade, taking a single step forward before Cana moved into his way, Peatrice mumbling slightly as he dragged her across the ground.

"Hold it," he almost commanded, feeling a sense of excitement swelling inside of him. This was his chance : he wasn't going to mess it up. "I can't carry her on my own. Why don't you let me handle this one? I mean, how bad can it be?" He spoke persuasively, Eagus listening intently, sword returning to his scabbard as he nodded understandingly.

"Alright," he gave it, slinging Peatrice up into a cradle of arms. "Go on ahead. Take care though." Walking slightly bow-legged from the weight, he took his way towards the river, Cana watching as the chill of the night started to nip at his skin. Turning around, Cana dashed his way up towards the statue, thankful for the extra energy shot his bottle had given him.

The gate was supposed to be shut at night, though Cana had never understood the reason why; there was nothing valuable to steal, and the monsters didn't bother to come near there anyway. Ordinarily, Pipit would close it while doing his rounds, but since he was a little "distracted" at the moment, the iron bars stood wide open, the ground quit and serine. For a moment, Cana paused to absorb the holiness of it all, eyes closed and spirit centered, worries washing away. Then, there was the sound of stone underfoot, and he opened his eyes to see the light vanish into the base of the Goddess statue, the stone melting away into nothingness as a familiar figure watched, running into the hole created.

"Link?" Cana mumbled quizzically to himself as he followed, walking slowly towards the opening, sticking in one hand first, and then stepping in, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the tunnel. For a moment, there was only darkness, before he emerged into a great lit chamber, Link standing before the source of the light; A cerulean, caped, flawlessly smooth figure, hovering in the air before him, Link bending over slightly as if to grab something.

"Link!" Cana yelled out forcefully, arms pulled into himself. The sound reverberated across the room, returning to his ear several times, the sound dying out only to be replaced by that of cracking somewhere above them. One hand remaining on the item, Link pivoted to look at him, eyes meet as Cana noticed it was a sword he was gripping, wedged into the pedestal at the center of the chamber, the entity floating there, seemingly uninterested. Then, as they all stood as if frozen, a large stone descended from the ceiling, spinning slightly as if fell, landing directly on top of Link's head, one edge wedging itself into his skull.

Link spun through the air with a sort of morbid grace, pulled by the weight of the stone, rose-colored blood sprinkling from his wound and shimmering in the light cast by the figure. When the stone landed, he was swung off, a rag doll flung to the side before landing discarded towards the back wall, Cana's eyes locked onto the gap in the upper portion of his head, the stone stained red and slightly grey on one corner. A bit of vomit crept up in his throat before the reality set in, and it took all he had to swallow it back down, the glowing girl gliding onto him, feeling the wound with her shining, perfectly crafted hands.

"Master Link," her voice seemed… cold, almost as though it came from the stone rather than her. "I estimate your probability of survival at 2% and dropping. Please respond." Deathly silence filled the room as she waited for a response that would never come, Link's face rushing clear and white as the blood seeped out, minutes on end with Cana frozen in shock.

Finally, after what could have been hours for all he knew, the girl looked up, her eyes pupil-less, yet… seemingly a little sad. He wasn't quite sure how, only that she gave that impression. Her face was directed at his, hands lingering on Link's cooling body for a little longer then might have been deemed prudent, before floating back up, putting air between her feet and the now bloodied ground.

"Male human," her voice was… different somehow, though it was more of an empathetic feeling then any real intonation. "Please grant me name recognition."

Swallowing a bit of built up spit, Cana looked on with a bit of reluctance, eyes flicking back to Link's corpse. "Cana," he finally spat out, trying to compose himself. "My name is Cana."

The girl did not move, though she did seem to focus on him a bit more, arms folding in front of her. "Cana," she said, as if trying to get used to the word. "I seems that the fulfillment of my primary function will require your assistance. Please step up to the pedestal in the center of the room and remove the sword." It sounded more of an order then a request, since she couldn't really change her tone, though judging from her stance it was just the opposite. Forcing his muscles to move, Cana pushed himself forward, a bit dizzy, before laying one hand onto the hilt, savoring the feeling.

He'd always wanted a sword.

He laid his other hand around it, something swelling deep within him as I slowly pulled the metal blade out of its stone prison, the light glinting off the perfectly crafted metal. As the tip finally removed itself, itself having a bit of its own light, Cana raised it up, looking at himself in the polished metal, the weight feeling odd in his hand, though his heart leapt at it. A sword…his own sword.

"The sword you hold in your hand is known as the Goddess's Sword," the girl's voice seemed half a dream, sounding sweet and flawless as is emotions flew. "It is destined to be held by the chosen hero of The Goddess, to cleanse the world of the darkness infesting it. I am its spirit, created with the primary function of aiding the sword's wielder. I believe social custom dictates that I have a form of address. You may refer to me as Fi."

Running his hands along the smooth part of the blade, he looked forward as Fi flipped over him, landing in front with her eyes looking up into his. "As I shall refer to you as Master."


	5. Chp IV: The Unchosen

**Author's Notes- None today.**

It seemed so, unreal

The flawless steel of the blade shined in his hand, shedding a light of its own as though still half made of the dream-stuff of the only other swords he'd ever held.. For a brief moment, the image of Link's death, the knot in his stomach and the strain in his vision, was gone. It was the sort of weapon one of the sky knights of legend might wield; straight, sharp, perfectly symmetrical, and polished to such a sheen it reflected the world around him. And that the reflection was _his_ , Cana Reis's... it was Hard to believe this whole thing wasen't a nightmare that had suddenly gone lucid.

"Master," Fi finally interjected, after time had to have lost all meaning to an awestruck Cana. The words didn't register in his head until her hand came down on the blade, the color and smoothness of her skin blending seamlessly with the metal, slowly pushing it down to remove the obstruction between their faces. "It is logical that you may be experiencing a period of intense emotion. However, it is recommended that you give your full attention to the introduction that my creator instructed me to provide my wielder. Are you prepared to ?" There was a calmness about her face that allowed Cana to pull himself back into reality, eyes focusing onto hers as he planted the tip of the sword on the ground, trying his best to take a suitingly dignified stance.

Fi's featureless face certainly diden't show any disapproval.

"I am ready," the words came out unprompted, firm and fearful though he was still visibly shaking, his body once again feeling the rumble of rising vomit. Each word reverberated through the chamber, taking its own time to be heard, Fi waiting still and patent for them to run their course. As a stray spark popped out from one of the torches, floating between them, she finally returned to speaking.

"You will be playing a role in a great destiny," her first words reverbated through his brain, their real importance hidden beneath her unnaturally musical voice. "I was created for a single purpose, long before the recorded memories of your people, and that was to aid the one chosen by my creator in fulfilling the burden of this destiny." Her face flitted to the side for a brief moment, as if having forgotten something, before she turned back as if it had never occurred. "The one who was chosen was known to you as Link, deduced from your previous statement. However, he is…" the firelight flickered across her body as she paused, recognizing the moment of silence. "Unable to fulfill his duties. Thus, my sole purpose dictated that another be found to take his place, and that, Master Cana, is you."

"Destiny?" Cana questioned hesitantly, still having trouble wrapping his mind around the weight of the situationby the whole situation. "I'm not sure I understand..." That was true enough, the blade nervously rotating on the floor. So much was coming so fast… _Alough if Link could handle it, why can't I?_ He hopefully tried to bump himself up, something about the mattere of fact way his guide spoke of his duty surprisingly encouraging.

Fi waited for him to continue, seemingly unfazed by the heat of the braziers as she drew closer to them. "Your inquiry is well founded Master," a subtle change appeared to have worked its way into her voice: admiration? Concern? "You were not indeed destined to take part in this, and this has likely caused a degree of uncertainty in you." She pulled one hand up, waving it past the flame in a smooth, rhythmic motion. "To minimize that uncertainty, I will share with some information, as well as a vision which the chosen hero has seen." Her hand moved closer and closer to the fire, the shadows at the edge of the light seeming to work their way in, tiny indistinguishable tendrils creeping towards her palm. "My projections indicate there is a high probability of this information having a positive impact on your willingness to participate. With your leave, Master, I will show you."

With that, her hand swept its way into the fire, the flames touching it yet leaving no mark on the skin. When it came out again, the flames clung to it, flying off in a dark red blaze out towards the shadows, falling lazily until the darkness reached up to grab, it, the tendrils weaving through and molding it, a shape slowly starting to take form. "The figure before you is an exact reproduction of that which had been plaguing the dreams of the chosen hero for some time now. Look well, as this will make you more as the chosen hero was." Simultaneously, the two rotated their bodies, Cana stiff and still from instinctual fear rather than valor. The red and black hand blended now, the insubstantial color sharpening itself into being, a layer of scales over something long and round. The bottom separated itself into two feet, layered with the same scab-red scales, growing in size until it seemed it would break the roof of the room. Looking up, Cana raised the sword in a defensive manner, surprisingly good for one with no training, yet the abomination just looked down, eyeless, finally parting its jaws to reveal its gapping maw, sterile white contrasting so darkly with the dank body. Sword shaking, Cana gulped and closed as fear washed over him. Then, as quickly as it had come, the beast vanished leaving him frozen in front of an empty room.

"Master," Fi floated gently to his side and spoke at a normal volume right into his ear, shocking him back to attention and lunging an arm out towards the source of the sound. His hand pressed against her surface, stone-cold and hard odd yet strangely exhilarating at the same time as he slowly stabilized. "Master, please respond." Shaking his head back into reality, Cana took a deep breath, trying to calm his ragged heartbeat.

"I'm fine," was all he could say, the clamminess sinking back into his bones. It had been so real, almost as though he could feel its breath, hot and rancid, clinging to his skin still. "That was just a little more then I'm used to."

Straightening his back, he finally looked Fi in the face, catching something just leaving her expression as he did so. What it was, he couldn't be sure, but it didn't look like anger… at least he hoped it wasn't. "Anyways," he continued, loosening his death grip on the weapon and taking his arm and weight off the spirit's shoulder. "Got it, not going to forget that face ever again." As stressed as he was, that came out with a little laugh, happy with himself that he hadn't completely panicked.

"If I may Master," Fi advised, though giving him enough time to finish. "I have much more to inform you of before you mission begins. The logical continuation of my previous action would be to inform you of the other destined one of your culture, whom you would address as…"

"Link?" A deep, rumbling voice echoed from behind him, bewildered. "What are you doing here at this hour? You know the sacred grounds are off... Cana? Is that you?" Fi ceased her sentence, turning about in the air towards the source of the sound, Cana himself feeling a little tick in the back of his head as he turned himself, staring at Gaepora as he walked in, eyes locked on the sword hanging down in his hand.

"I saw Link come this way earlier," he demanded, mouth agape, and clearly oblivious to the body lying a few yards to his right. "He was with that, thing there. I expected to find him here." Gaepora's voice trembled a bit as he started rambling, his sudden lack of confidence oddly giving Cana to chance to pull himself together, adjusting his posture to something more befitting of a warrior. "Tell me, have you seen him?"

"First off," half-false confidence tinged his statement, though there was clearly sorrow there was well. "She is not a thing. Her name is Fi." It seemed like the obvious thing to do at the time, though he knew he was only trying to delay the inevitable. "Link though…" that confidence started to fade out, staring forlornly at the spot where he laid, eyes squinting to hide the reality of it. "He… isn't with us anymore."

The shock on Gaepora's face was powerful, powerful enough to cause him to fall back a few steps, neck stiffening as he forced his head to where Cana was looking. "What," the sound shook as it echoed, his gaze finally catching the blood, then the rock, then finally Link, mouth grimacing as he took it in.

"Master," Fi looked at him, head cocked like a curious dog. "I appreciate your attention to accuracy. Might I speak to this new human?"

It was Cana's turn to be confused now, looking up with his mouth scrunched. "Why do you…" he waved the question away, embarrassed by his own stupidity. "Please do."

"Thank you Master," Fi pulled her hands back in, bowing before hovering over, imposing her body between Gaepora and the grisly scene. "Elder human," the way her single-minded simplicity seemed to soften the mood was magical in way. "Shock is the perfectly logical reaction to the death of one's own species. However, I would ask that you assist my new Master by presenting any new information you may have regarding the sword her hold."

Gaepora, though both his eyes and the ground below him where smattered with tears, stoically straightened his shoulders, turning himself towards Cana. "She's right, grief is for later. The simple fact that you're standing here now means I have witnessed something I should never hope to see. Cana," His footsteps where each purposeful, Fi floating close behind him. "This is the Chamber of the Goddess, a place left to our people from before any history tells us." Cana forced himself to keep looking at Gaepora, his eyes filled with all the dedication of a saint on a holy quest, Fi's light highlighting the remains of tears. "The very existence of this place is a secret only a few know, alongside a few words." He stood at the base of the platform on which the sword had once stood, clearing his throat as he tried to remember. "When the light of the goddess's sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will wake from its long slumber. Do not fear, for it is then that a youth, guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred." The last words where accompanied by a sweeping gesture to the room, hard and avoiding the spot where Link's body had been thrown. "I knew the day was coming, I had seen the sword glowing as I kept this place," he attested, as though scolding himself. "But that is all I know. Cana…" his voice cracked, tears starting to flow again. "Can you tell me how Link died?"

Being asked to speak again put Cana off his edge, wishing now he could have been a little more like Link; being able to stay quite whenever he needed. "See that rock?" his voice was almost a joke, as if trying to make the whole thing unreal. "It just fell down and conked him in the head." A nervous laugh accompanied it, which Gaepora didn't take well, scowling towards him before turning around, scooping Link up and cradling him in his hands, pacing out slowly before breaking into a sprit, returning to the dark night beyond the doorway.

"Master Cana," Fi floated towards him, standing in front of one of the braziers. "The Elder of your people's retelling has lost several pieces of critical information over the centuries. At your request, I can enlighten you by providing them."

Not far off, Cana awkward laugher strung into sobbing. A hard, rymthic sobbing that he struggled to choke back enough to answer.

"Please do," he managed to get out, struggling to steady his emotion.

Fi simply nodded, letting the fire dance as she spoke. "The youth who draws forth the guiding sword shall be known as the goddess's chosen hero, and it is he who possesses an unbreakable spirit." The words comforted him slightly, sobs slowly seeing larger and larger breaks. "He shall be burdened with the task of absorbing the shadow of the apocalypse from the land. Such is his destiny. With the spirit of the blade at his side, he will soar over the clouds and plummet below, and united with the spirit maiden, shall bring forth a piercing light that resurrects the land."

There, she ceased, Cana looking up at her with but a bit of a break to his mouth. "Fi," he resigned himself. "That youth was Link. I'm not destined to be a knight." The words echoed in his mind over and over; vaguely resembling the voices who put it there, emotions churning between hope and despair.

"The probability of a member of a sapient race being destined for anything is far below 1%, Master," Fi was unmoving, though the sword in his hand felt slightly warmer than it had before. "Perhaps you are not in possession of an unbreakable spirit. You do, however, exhibit signs of self-understanding and empathy far in excess of any hero I am knowledgeable of. Perhaps, that will serve you with just as much efficiency in your quest."

Sighing, Cana's face lit up, his mind finally going to rest. "You might be right Fi. I'm ready." That little something he'd seen before was back on her face, a slight curl of the lips that vaguely resembled a smile.

"Come Master," she gestured to the rear of the chamber, where a metallic insignia rested within the great alcove. "There is one more thing I must show to you."


	6. Chp V: Before the Storm

The alcove was lit by two bowls of fire, both having the great statues of birds standing at attention as wards over themIn the stillness of the room it truly had the feel of a holy place; Cana felt just a little profane just for the act of approaching it, kicking up dust that should have been allowed to rest for the ages. The ancient steps, old and cracked, felt as though they would chip beneath his feet as he drew closer to the crest with Fi bobbing silently next to him. Even his breathing seemed unnatural; the lay out of the room leading it to repeat each breath time and time again.

"Master," Fi relieved his growing tension, her magnified as it echoed throughout the chamber; like a herald declaring the arrival of her great lord. "Take the sword and raise it skyward."

Cana stood at rigged attention at the cue, his attention refocusing on the hilt in his hand. He glanced at the blade, then at Fi, then back at the blade. "Alright..." He whispered to himself finally risking a word as he tried to give the moment the gravity it deserved. In that moment, Fi slid to the air until she stood directly in front of him; her face was hard to read with its blank eyes and unchanging mouth, but by resting her fingertips on the bottom of the blade and giving it a light press up she could still express her encouragement. Slowly, untrained wrists struggling to keep the movement fluid and steady, Cana shifted the hilt in his hand. The point scraping the floor before passing first between his eyes then straight up into the air, forming a delicate arc with the weapon's spirit as it mirrored the movements of its body.

For a moment Cana felt almost as if he were in a sort of prayer, Fi's fingertip giving him just the bit of support he needed to lock the blade in a perfect verticle stillness. The serenity of the moment was quickly broken however by a warmth blood down his arm, lavender light flowing down the blade to add to thefirelight and Fi's glow. Cana let out a shocked and surprised grunt; the sudden force on his arm causing it to flex and buckle. Yet The sword seemed as though it were growing lighter in his hand, his muscles flexing with a new heroic vigor.

"This is the power known as the Skyward Strike Master," Fi instructed, drawn slightly closer to the sword that's light now stood latent. "My Creator forged it into this blade with permission from the Goddess herself. You need only raise my vessel up to the heavens and my body will naturally draw what residual essence Her Grace has left to this energy stored within will not be released until the next time you swing the blade in the traditional fashion." Being very careful to keep the blade straight, Cana lowed the weapon to eye level and examined the pulsing metal, the power radiating off of it crackling and humid. "Please release this energy at the crest, Master, so that I might guide you towards your destination."

"Alright," Cana stated absentmindedly, his attention tied up in the sword, feeling the weight and taking a slow, steady pull back. _Concentrate_ , he thought, his sword arm moving slow and fitting in a few short swings to make sure he was aiming properly; his complete lack of training painfully obvious if anybody had been watching. Eyes narrowed, muscles taunt, he finally made his attempt at a horizontal cut, but the sword swinging higher up then he'd anticipated. The power spun off the sword along the arc of that cut, barely nicking the upper tip of the left wing as it shot past like a gust of wind. Despite that, the point of contact seemed to blade the lively color over the dead grey metal, creating the illusion of a blending whirlwind as the force of the blow send the emblem spinning on its bottom point.

Taking in a deep breath, Cana watched as the whirling motion subsided; crest now an almost opaque shade. Fi had taken a position just behind and to the right of him in silent anticipation open; the air in front of him still twinges with the smell of ozone. The alien oder had a holiness about it; like the smell of Leviath's stormclouds, Cana feeling the sudden urge to breath a prayer to Hylia, or anybody who would listen. Somebody to forgive him, to bring on a driving rain to cleanse him and this place of the stink of death. There was a funny thing about prayer though; not matter how many times he spoke to the Goddess, she never bothered to answer him. _Until today..._ he took a deep breath of the blessed air before it could fade away.

The silence did not last. Instead it was replaced by an even stranger sound, the grinding of stone against stone starting to rumble from below him. He took a step back, the still crest starting to vibrate as the ground beneath is slowly rose, a pillar rising to meet its brothers on either side. Yet, there was something else about it; a lovingly crafted square spare naturally pulling in the eye. "Master," Fi placed herself directly to the right of the pillar, cloak lifting up as her own light seemed to brighten, overpowering the torch glow to for a translucent sphere around here. "Place the object I will present to you into the unoccupied space." It seemed as though she was easing him into his new responsibilities slowly, guiding him along in this turbulent moment, and for that Cana was deeply greatful. Her voice, though flat, was steady and unquestioning confident even in the face of death, and just hearing it seemed to drive doubt from the mind. The energy around the spirit settled into a distinct shape, barely solidifying before floating forward to Cana. The young man the sword slid the sword between his greatshirt and the belt which held it in place, opening his hands to grab at the light before it fell like a leaf into his hand. The the object was warm and hard, the aura surrounding it dissipating to reveal a great slab of rock beneath underneath, embedded with a green gemstone that glinted in new light. The weight pressed down on his arms, but unlike the sword was balanced and much easier to managed. Cana turned the artifact over in his hands a contemplative look on his face as he examined it. He could feel the age of it, the wear and tear it had gone through, whispering to himself _this thing has to be ancient. Maybe older then any building in Skyloft._ Still, remembering what he had been told, he slid it into the lower left hand side of the opening, the crude renderings of trees and waters becoming just visible under the dim light.

"Alright Fi," his attention turned back to the intelligence, her eyes darting quickly away as he did so, returning to a kind of uninterestedness. "There we go... is that everything?" He almost hated to ask her, but she diden't seem to have an answer; Cana wondering weather it was because she had no more instructions to give give. After giving her a few moments to speak, he moved his eyes over to the fire bowl and drew the sword once again: making a mental note to pick up a scabbard at the earliest oppritunity. "Well, in that case," He felt his lips form into a small smirk. "This is your chance. Don't screw it up." His feet hit the ground half-running across the stone floor, neither Fi nor the echo being far from his side as he confidently

The night air was again there to greet him, Fi's cloak blowing up slightly and brushing against his arm. It was almost nice, the clean scent filling his nose much better than the stale and ashed air of the chamber. He took long, deep breaths through the nose, whistling slightly as the air came back out, walking as he finally started to get himself back to normal, not fear or awe or confusion, but normal.

It was impossible not to see it; sticking out like a sore thumb as it pierced the clouds just beyond the plaza. A constant green light, the color of stamina fruit created a hole in the supposed impenetrable cloud barrier. _But that's impossible... isen't it?_ Cana wondered. Enraptured by his curiosity he couldn't help but approach, sword tight in his grip as he jogged down the pathway. Thankfully, the Keese and the Chu Chu never got this close to the Academy ,so by passing over that way, jolting himself only slightly as he leaped down from the roof to the ground, he was able to go in peace.

However, as he entered the plaza; the sound of celebration now significantly sillier as people really started to get into their drink, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching. Slowing down and perking his ears, the young man listened for something nearby, the background noise hardly making it easy. Still, he was aware enough that when the Remlit dashed at him from the side, its hiss revealing is approach, he was able to swing the Goddess sword fairly well to intercept it. The blade cut shallow but hard , leaving a llarge gash down its feline's side and sending it scurrying awa with its tail between its legs. Looking on at the creature, Canafelt a certain amount of pride in himself. Though it was only a small victory, he'd actually managed to use this sword properly. Maybe, maybe, he had a hope of pulling this hero thing off after all.

"Did you see that Fi?" He asked, turning around to look the girl in the eye, only to see her looking slightly lower than eye level, roughly onto his back. "Is something the matter? You feeling alright?" He asked, jubilance leading him not to give the situation as much thought as it merited.

"My mental state is irrelevant, Master." She responded simply, distancing herself from him slight. "I was simply taking notes on your physical condition to provide better advice in the future" With that, she returned to sullen silence, the cricket's chirping and the drunken laughs filling the empty air between them. It seemed that there was nothing left to say.

"Well then," Cana joked out of a mixture of glee and exhaustion before letting out a deep yawn, weight of the day finally resting on his mind and eyelids as the adrenaline faded from his system. "I'm glad you're admiring it. Now, let's get some sleep."

* * *

 **AN: Considering this was a shorter chapter, I thought I'd chime in to give a few modern notes to my older story.**

 **Firstly , I was recently given a shout-out by insertname13 in his latest fic. The two of us are in a very similar situation, rewriting our first stories after many years, so I just wanted to give him a Beedle-like "Thank You!" For his support.**

 **Secondly, thanks YOU reader for putting up with this fic so far. Looking back, I certainly did introduce everything a little slow, but I still feel the introduction is nessicery to give Link's death the full weight it deserves and lay the groundwork of Cana as a character. Actual plot starts next chapter, so if you have any comments on the Skyloft arc or critique's of how I wrote Cana's core character (Too self-indulgent? Not fleshed out enough?), now would be a great time to give them so I have the opportunity to correct course.**

 **Third and finally, give one of your friends a hug today. They deserve it.**

 **-With all due respect,**

 **DarkGlass01**


	7. Chp VI: The First Step

The sun was just starting to peek back over the horizon as Mallara stumbled into her home, the door kicking up a cloud of dust as it swung open. Her head pounded as she adjusted to the light, trying to make sense of last night's party. It had been such a delightful night, the best one she could remember since she'd lost Pipit's father a few years ago. A light burp escaped her throat, the aftertaste of the night's binge tickling her tongue once again, chuckling a light in delight. She would have to get this place cleaned up eventually; she'd promised her son she'd do it a week ago, but certainly a little nap couldn't hurt.

Then, she noticed that there was somebody lying in her bed.

That wasn't a particularly rare occurrence in Skyloft. Like nearly all of the area's history, the reason behind the tradition was never really discussed or even thought about. If you found anybody who actually cared, they would probably say it started sometime around when the Remlits started to become a bit "testy", justifying people entering whatever house happened to be closest as sunset came. After that, nobody really locked their doors; people just walked in and laid themselves out on your bed for a few hours. Besides, considering how little people slept, it was rarely an issue.

Walking over, the sound of her footsteps muffled in the carpet of dust, Mallara rested her hand on the figure, who's body lay wrapped underneath the top quilt. She felt them stir for a moment, drawn a bit closer to reality, before she pushed down, causing Cana to roll over and open his eyes, still wet and groggy from sleep.

"Oh," she sighed , almost relieved. "It's only you Cana. I was worried that Pipit might have come over to visit."

Still half asleep, Cana shook his head and tried to bring his mind into focus, arm flopping out to brush over the Goddess sword, propped up against the bedframe. "Ms. Mallara," he yawned as he sat himself up, hand gripping itself around the handle of the sword. "I apologize for intruding. "

"Oh, don't worry about it," she dismissed, smiling as she kneeled down to rest herself. "It wasn't as if I was at home anyways. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for the dismal condition. I've just been so busy lately..." Her voice trailed off as her head feel to her shoulder, sleep battling with her eyes before they twitched back open, catching on the sword. "Cana," she wondered curiously. "I hadn't been told you got into the Knight Academy. Your father must have finally gotten over himself."

Though the statement sparked the anger at the back of his mind, Cana quickly forced it back down before responding. "Actually," he confessed, lifting up the blade and resting it on his lap. "This isn't a knight's sword. My father's still fairly firm on that account." He stopped their, not sure what else he could safely tell her, but she just looked him in the eye quizzically for a moment, before turning back onto herself.

"Oh well," she shrugged, getting off her knee and just leaning onto the bed, eyes turned up to the ceiling. "Can't win them all, can you?" She paused for a moment, as if to take a breath, but ended up sneezing instead, the sound spreading and kicking up even more dust. "This bedding really could do with some fresh air," she was obviously thinking aloud, before she turned over to Cana and yawned. "Would you be a dear and take the quilt out for a beating? I've been out all night."

The look on her face was genuinely tired, and tinted with an almost teenage ditziness, that he found it a little hard to resist. "Alright," He stood up, sliding the sword back into is belt before sticking his hand underneath the quilt, checkered purple and green, pulling it out and starting to fold it over his hands, working it down to a manageable size before storing it away. "You need this back soon?"

Mallara had set herself into the bed by then, curling up like a sleeping child. "Just give it to me next time you stop by." She yawned as her body worked its way down. "I'll have the place cleaned up by then." Her breathing started to slow, but as Cana walked over to the door, she managed to get out one more thing. "For the sword, just take Pipit's spare. I'm sure he won't mind." Sure enough, a worn leather scabbard, plain but suitably size, hung undisturbed on a peg, dusty as the rest of the house. Hardly even thinking about it, Cana reached for it, gripping around the supple bindings before slinging it over his back, the sword creating a comforting pressure on his back after it was placed inside. The door parted in his way as Cana walked out, eyes meeting with the sun as the city spread out before it.

The change in the mood of the city was almost physical. For some reason, everything seemed darker; the clouds above where that much thicker, the bird statues that much duller, and even the people seemed to have darkened, the few who were out moving in a shuffle, without the excitement of sense of purpose that they'd had but yesterday. The reality of death returned to him, mind reflecting back on Link's life; the childhood games he'd enjoyed with both him with the rest of the children, all the times he'd flown his Crimson overhead, the time he'd gotten himself stuck on top of the windmill. Dozens of emotions tugged heavily at his heart, causing him to just stop in the middle of the road, thinking, before something probed into his mind. A voice.

"Master," Fi projected into his thoughts, the sword on his back starting to feel warm through the thin scabbard. "Please proceed to the beacon signaling the break in the clouds. We still have our mission to accomplish."

The rest of the citizens seemed to be slowly moving towards the graveyard, a torch still burning in that direction though the sun was already lighting the city. The funeral… could he really miss the funeral? Yet, Fi was right; he did have a mission to accomplish. So, steeling his will and tightening his fist, he moved on, not even needing to say anything.

The light was still shining as he came towards the plaza diving platform, the wind having picked up significantly since the previous day, blowing firmly into his face, shirt billowing. "Come on boy," He called out to the air, catching the forlorn glances of some of the others as he dashed forward, a bit of sunlight breaking through the clouds above as he dove, fingers to his lips as he let out a blast of three whistles in quick succession, the air blowing up past him before he saw a flash of burgundy, has legs spreading out so he could grip down on his Loftwing as it dove past, warm and vibrant despite the chilled air. The feeling of flight wiped away all the confusion, the depression and the darkness, and replaced it was familiar exhilaration, the pillar of light raised in challenge as he grew closer, the thickness of the quilt adding yet another layer of comfort. A quick jab to the side sent his bird forward with a hard pump of the wings, the break in the clouds almost just below him, a thickness of living green all he could really make out. Smiling, a reserve of courage welling up inside him, he jumped, yelling happily as he fell, feet pointed downward and the quilt to his chest. If this didn't air the thing out, he didn't know what would.

He couldn't tell how far he had fallen, all his clothing and air fluttering up above him. The forms below started to take on shape; trees and grey stone and hills, before he realized what exactly he was doing. "Uh oh," he squeaked as he flung himself into a panic, feet flailing as he tried to slow himself down, but to no avail. Mind raising, he thought, fingers gripping into the weave of the quilt, before it flashed in his brain like a sputtering fire. Hands tightening to fists around the two sides of the quilt, Cana let the cloth go, opening above him as the air rushed in, feeling himself start to fall more slowly as the ground came up, the greys become more pronounced wrought iron fences and stone pillars. Finally, much to his relief, his plummet slowed to a light fall, feet landing roughly yet manageably on the solid stone, the thrill of being alive calling him to kiss the ground. He still had dignity though, and settled for a wiping of the sweat from his face, looking up at the pillar of dust glittering in the sunlight above him.

It wasn't long though until her turned to the world around him, the great growths on the pillars beside him. "The surface," he whispered to himself, running one hand down the rocky face of a wall. Oddly enough, it didn't seem to be the mythical, wondrous place he'd been told about in story books. The grass was green, yes, and he could tell it was huge. Yet, there where trees and rock and bird statues, just like above the clouds. Still, it was enough to take in his attention, especially when he wandered over the fence, gripping to the rough, rusty bars an into the spiral pit below, deeper than anything he'd ever seen. There where gusts of upward wind and heart flowers and stamina fruit, things he was familiar with, yet there was something else at the bottom, small and grey. It was, strange.

"Fi," he drew the Goddess sword from its new sheath, looking into the metal. "Fi, come out. You've got to see this."

There was little delay before the girl flipped out of the sword, materializing in the dimmer light of the surface world. Despite what he'd told her, she focused her sight on him, floating still and silent as if waiting for him to speak.

"Fi," he repeated himself, letting his eyes wander over the area. After a moment, she seemed to duplicate his action, taking in the world for herself. It was a peaceful silence; not horrifying like in the Chamber nor awkward like at the plaza, but simply a time where he was content to live in this new world, a place he would be a good long while. "Isn't it beautiful?" He asked her, taking a few steps to his left.

"Visual survey indicates this area is aesthetically pleasing, Master," Fi's words rung through the air, hanging for perhaps a bit longer than they should. Her eyes turned to him, although he was focused in another direction at the time, and she averted her gaze before he looked at him. The fences blocked all but one direction, the grassy path circling around the pit, and so, after tucking the quilt away for later, Cana started to walk his way down it, eyes forward as he whistled a silly little tune under his breath.

* * *

 _Scanning data banks for information on currently entered functional situation_

Fi glided behind her Master intently as he moved forward, his sword arm tense and eyes ever wary, though his ability of vocalize at the same time suggested a lack of anxiety that would positively contribute to his probability of survival. Yet, that was not the only thing being processed when she saw that. It was comparatively a very small bit of data, almost undetectable if it hadn't just taken up a little more space in her mind, matching to the stimulus she had recorded last night. Though looking on, she raced mentally to seek out any mention of this stimulus her Creator might have endowed her with

 _There is no data present at this time…_

The process stopped itself as her senses focused in on her Master, absorbing all her attention as a great Deku Baba sprouted from the ground, slavering its unique sap. Master Cana had raised the Goddess Sword up, pointed straight at the beast, beating at the head seven times, the bulb recoiling but returning each time. Again, as she routed all of her power into recording data about this creature and this fight, so that she might be more useful to her Master in the future, another program managed to snatch away a piece of those resources, sending out another unidentified stimulus. The sword came down once more, slicing through the stem and the beast's mouth, splitting the bulb in two and leaving it to flop the ground, a single green rupee releasing itself from the head.

 _Deku Baba_ , she recorded, her Master leading them forward towards the great doors of an overgrown building, the start of the spiral downward just to their left as her pushed at the stone. _To destroy, place cut at same angle as open mouth. This will cause lethal hinge and tissue damage._

The record was hastily stored away as she approached her Master, looking down on him as his back arched to move the door, again, revealing the muscle mass behind his coverings. She did not even try to push back the stimulus this timesimply taking the pleasant tingle for what it was.

"Fi," Master Cana turned back to face her, eyes and face scrunched slightly as she became aware of her slightly abnormal stance. "Are you doing alright?"

This time, she welcomed the stimulus, even trying to hold onto it as she declined to continue the search. "Yes Master," she bowed humbly, floating to his side as he took the first step into the door. "Indeed, I find my current state to be significantly improved."


	8. Chp VII: The First Blood

The air, thick and musty with the smell of ages, puffed out of the doors as Cana pushed them open. The strange architecture and carvings, framed with the unthinkably vibrant growth of the forest, spoke of a different time; a time undisturbed by the passing of humanity. Light pierced in spikes through the great gaps in the stone ceiling, particles of dust hanging visibly in the illuminated spaces they created. Even his steps on the flagstone beneath where hushed by the lichen carpet, greenery having nearly overgrown the place. For a moment, he pondered how long it had been since anybody had been here, silence and stillness almost as much a part of it as the pillars and steps. There were no buildings like this in Skyloft, and as he walked down the path flanked by the pillars, he drank the room in, almost inspired by the simplicity. Yet, even as it filled him, there was a strange sensation, the itch in the brain that only came when somebody was watching.

"It's…" his mind struggled for the proper word as he spoke to Fi, the spirit hugging close to him, her body langue showing no more about her thoughts than usual. In the shadowy light of the building, she took on an almost reflective quality, pools of white forming and breaking across her body as she floated by him. After brushing away a few insignificant terms, his mind grasped on one. "Magical." That was what he needed to say, the place filling him with a sort of energy he couldn't describe any other way. Indeed, if it wasn't for that nagging presence, he would have stayed and basked in it for a while. Feet clicking on the stairs, he finally caught sight of it, that peak of red towering above a stooped figure that showed he was not alone.

"Excuse me," he politely stated as he worked his way up the steps, a great ring of light coming down around the person. They were a small creature, body mostly hidden beneath worn vestments and a volumes coat, which worked its way up to a point far taller than the person it covered. What little skin he could see was ruddy and wrinkled, eyes shrouded by a twine-colored braid around her head, the end swinging back and forth before her face. It was almost as though she was meditating, and Cana juggled with the point of interrupting her. "I didn't mean to intrude." Again, there was no reply, her body still and at peace. Yes, she was a woman; that much he could tell.

"Can you hear me?" He asked worriedly after several moments, bending to his knee so he could look straight into her face. She did not appear to be dead, yet her dared not touch her to find out, hand hovering a foot from her wizened hands. "I said can you hear me?" This time, he was clearly fearful, and perhaps a little angry, his hand finally resting down on her own, not holding or even pressing, in fear of breaking the already frail bones.

Her face showed the first signs of movement, right lip twitching up slightly at his touch, hands cold and worn. Chin lifting up, she looked him straight in the eye, if she would have uncovered her own eyes, and gave out a little groan, taking a deep breath before responding softly, her voice deep and parental.

"Child," there was a bit of a laugh under her breath, as if happy to see him. "Descended from the clouds. I welcome you. Tell me, what is your name?" This close, you could hear her lungs fight for every breath, chest moving softly as she did, but her face showed the sign of the strain, curling up into a light smile.

"I'm Cana," he squinted as her looked down on her, feeling uncomfortable as he searched for an eye to focus on. She seemed so, tired.

"I have waited," she sat still, not even moving her face as he came down. "For many years. Many, many years," her voice trailed off, trapped in days gone by, the sounds of the wilderness surrounding them. Then, with a light nod, she continued. "Regardless, you are here now. My purpose may be fulfilled." Overhead, the sunlight grew brighter, a shrouding cloud having passed by. He wanted to speak, but she always looked as though she was on the verge of saying something, and so he kept quiet. The breeze, the sounds, even the smell made it seem for all the world like they were outdoors. "Are you surprised?" She asked, as if reading his mind. "Your arrival here was predestined. Many, many years ago. You are here seeking the maiden, correct?" Finally their faces met, her lips tightening expectantly.

Cana tilted his head to the side, a bit of confusion setting in. "Spirit Maiden?" He questioned himself softly, probing for the term in his mind. The women's lips slowly untensed , face sagging into a look of slight shock. "Fi," he finally asked, turning around as he did so. "Do you have any idea what she's talking about?"

He caught Fi floating back, although she was still abnormally close. Her head hung down, body shuddering slightly. "My deepest apologies Master," her voice stuttered a bit, sounding as if it had very slight static. "Though I was interrupted before, I should have taken the time to inform you of the reason for you decent here. I have detected another aura which closely matches that of your race in the vicinity. By applying logical principle, I deduced it to belong to the Spirit Maiden of which the elderly female speaks. As she is currently the only female absent in your community, I calculate you have a 96% chance of knowing her identity."

"Zelda?" He half-guessed, sizing Fi up with a concerned look. It was almost as if, he shock off the silly thought; their where more important things to worry about. "Is it Zelda?"

"So that is what she is called." The woman thought aloud, shifting herself slightly. "Perhaps not the name I would have chosen. Yet, beautiful none the less, no?" The last part was a straight up question, hanging in the silent air long after it should have faded away.

"I suppose," he shrugged, letting the tension just bounce off him. "That isn't important right now, though, just tell me where she is." Exhaling a deep breath, he watched the women shake her head, slightly ill at ease.

"She was not meant to get here this way," she started to ramble worriedly, legs shaking as she pushed herself onto her feet, hands wringing between each other. "She was supposed to arrive peacefully, shrouded in light rather than the dark cloud that gripped her. I fear something, "she paused, looking into the distance. "Or, perhaps, someone, has interfered. Yet, that is not your concern." She stopped, returning her face to his. "You have your own role to play in this destiny. "

"Actually," Cana interjected, only to catch himself before the words came out. She was right… in some ways. Yet, he wasn't even supposed to be here. Link had been the knight, the destined hero, and that realization scratched across his heart, causing him to grit his teeth.

"It is Cana, correct?" She moved closer to him, her steps jerky and weak. "This girl set out for Faron Woods to seek out her destiny. You must follow." Sweeping out one hand, she motioned to the side wall, a dirty and cracked stone door resting peacefully. "Many monsters have settled there, but with the sword you bear, you should manage." He felt her rest her weight on his hip, braid swinging back and forth. "I tire. Go now, Cana, and be brave." With that, she sank back down to her seat, breathing labored. He felt a bit sad for her, just a bit, before simply nodding. No need to tire her out more.

"Come on Fi," he beckoned to spirit, who hovered silent a still a few meters away. "We've got work to do."

* * *

"Master," Fi spoke as Cana worked his way up the stone stairway outside. The air was much fresher here, the light shining down through the cloud layer above and a few birds fluttering out of the tall grass, all much smaller than the Loftwings he was used to. "I apologize again for my error. It was not beneficial to your task to withhold such information."

He turned his head towards her, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly as he continued his movements, a relaxed look filling his face. "Don't worry about it," he took in a deep breath, a slight breeze blowing over him. "Everything worked out, right?" Fi responded with a bow, the literally electric tension about her slowly start to unwind. They just kept on, enjoying the peace of a pleasant day, when Cana's ear pricked up, a high, gluteal sound punctuating the serenity.

His hand went for the sword almost immediately, fear once again coming back. Slight movements started to catch his attention, fingers locked around the hilt. Things shifted from magical to strange, his passive curiosity skepticism. Then, he caught sight of the source of the sound. Five creatures… no, six, although one of them was clearly not like the others. The first five stood in a ring, dressed in brown furs, crude bars of sharpened steel raised into the air, brows low and skin a pale red. The other was large a thick, carrying a great bundle, arms raised in feeble defense. "Out of the way," the large one shouted forcefully, swatting his hand towards them. "Scram." Yet, they did not move, and indeed once of them drew closer, sword raised to strike.

It seemed as though his body attacked without him, leaning over slightly as he ran, the Goddess sword coming down across the creature's back, taking a good deal of meat with it. It gave out a loud hiss, arm reaching back to press down on the wound, blood quickly starting to flow. The others of its kind quickly turned around, revealing their wide and pudgy faces, needle teeth bared with their swords. It was a dance, really, the clang of metal on metal, the heart beating, and the sounds of pain the music. His own sword work was crude, each strike preceded by a moment of hesitation, but thankfully theirs was little better. First one feel, then another, his arm pulling itself away reflexively as another sword swished past. His back was to the large one, his body starting to feel thick and unreal. This was truly a first sword fight, adrenaline and enthusiasm making up for lack of skill, another body thumping to the ground.

Then, stinging pain shot through his left arm as a blow from that side tore through cloth, revealing the damaged skin beneath. It was little more than a glancing blow, to be honest, but the rusted surface had hurt him like hell. Another hit the same location, making a cross their, the blood seeping out. The yelp he gave out was almost pitiful, the sensation of this kind of pain completely new to him. It took all the willpower he had not the drop the sword and put pressure their, his vision bluring slightly as the remaining two creatures approached, grinning wickedly. However, they never got the chance, as from behind her saw two brown mitts appear, smacking the two heads into one another, the sounds of breaking bone grinding his ear

"Wow," the large creature looked down over him "That was, interesting."

"Thanks," Cana got out, his body trying to recover a normal breathing rate, sword hanging in a now limp arm. "I'm just glad I could help," his sentence dropped off, mind searching for a name.

"Gorko, the goron" he'd caught onto his dilemma, offering him a hand. "I'm an archeologist of sorts, studying ancient history. Yourself?

"Cana," his voice starting to sound better, he felt the tingle of Fi sinking into the sword, the warmth of her presence there flowing back up to his hand. "The Skyloftian." The last word seemed to light up a spark in the goron's eye, great hands tingling in excitement.

"You're not serious?" He asked, Cana feeling the pressure of a powerful grip on his shoulder. "You're actually from the Sky? The Isle of the Goddess?" He spoke hurriedly, face alight with wonder and hope, drowning out the sounds of the forest.

"Uh," Cana felt taken aback, raising up the sword slightly without thinking. "Yes, actually. I'm actually looking for somebody right now, so if this could wait."

"There are two of you?" Gorko laughed, although it sounded more like an rockslide then any human laughter. "The things I could learn! I'd thought she was just a native to the region!"

Cana's mind caught the idea, even though he though he felt a bone crack. "Wait, you've seen her?"

"I did!" the grip was finally broken, much to the appreciation of his sore shoulder. "She went right that way, all flustered up." A thick finger pointed towards a great stone arch, outlining a path beyond. "She's probably met up with the locals by now, why don't you ask them?"

Taking a deep breath, Cana sheathed the sword and nodded in honest gratitude, starting to walk over to the arch. "Thank you," he said simply, eyes closed. "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," Gorko waved as Cana passed beneath the arch, the deeper woods calling to him. "Just remember to come back here once you've found her. I've got a few questions I need to ask."

* * *

His back strained with the effort of pushing the great log, the chestnut wood nearly as tall as he was, the torn bit of his coat binding his arm wound. With any luck, he'd find a heart flower to apply to it, but the extra pain it caused to his already straining muscle. He'd already stopped for breath several times, the sweat on his body drying out into an itchy, Finally, air coming out his throat roughly, he felt the stone pressing back against him, a light ringing sound signaling Fi's return from the sword, floating out before him.

"Master," she kept her hands folded, though there was obviously some wringing. "Previously you ordered me not to worry. I must inform you that I found your order impossible to comply with. Your success, survival, and moral are my only purposes, and hence are related to core programs that I am powerless to change. "She looked away, almost as though admiring the trees that rose up on either side. "I hope that this information does not negatively affect your opinion in my functionality."

Cana squinted one eye, looking up as the sunlight silhouetted her form. "It's ok," he gave her a nod of approval, her merely being their giving him another distraction from the pain "You just do what you need to do. I'll be happy with it."

And, as he took the first step into the shade, he heard Fi's voice coming from above him. "Your happiness is what I require, Master."


	9. Chp VIII: The First Spark

_Bokoblin, red humanoid swordsmen with adequate swordsmanship,_ Fi watched as the scene of battle played over her vision time and time again. Her Master's arm coming down, strong and true, sending their dark souls back to whatever demon had created them. Black blood ran, hot and steaming, down _her surface, and, for a fleeting moment, it seemed he would have won._

 _Some skill is required to effectively combat these creatures, as they are prone to attacking in groups._ She tried to focus on her function, breaking down the battle into data, probabilities and statics and patterns, but again something was rerouting her mind, bringing her attention to other, irrelevant points. The way Master's brow curled up when he spoke to her, the pain in his eyes when the pitted blade cut him, his stance staying strong even though his face showed so much pain. All of it started to flow back into her memory, cutting off her train of thought. She reached out with her mind, grabbing onto the flow and pulling it, electricity sparking through her as she did so. _Deleting unnecessary information._

There it was: a nervous tick in the back of her mind, showing up when she could least affords the distraction. Whenever Master fought, and she dutifully tried to fulfill her function, it activated, siphoning of her energy for its own devices. _Searching active programs for process in question._ File after file came up; historical logs, background propulsion support, primary function stores… but nothing that should be causing this. Strange…

She sorted through each piece of data, focused in on her own mind as she silently floated along. There was… expectantly little there to see. So much of her logs, mile after mile after mile of text, was repetition of the same sensations; dark room, silence, cold and a bit damp, occasionally punctured by whatever authority figure of the era was in charge of the sanctuary. These flitted by with ease, text and visuals flickering only a brief moment over her eyes. However... this was not a superficial problem. _Accessing Core Archives, memory date 1…_ she felt herself grow cold for a moment as she focused her power deep into the recesses of her mind. Yet, the files held firm… almost resisting with a will of their own. Her previously emotionless face squinted a little as she doubled over her efforts, slowly reassembling the memory bit by bit, pieces of the world falling into place about her. Then, suddenly, the raindrops turned to a torrent, flooding out reality with a familiar scene… the memories of her first spark….

* * *

 _Where am I?_

Fi... she was even uncertain of that, found herself in a strange place. She felt cold… _am I supposed to be cold_. There was water… ice water, rushing over her skin in a freezing embrace , numbing her open mouth. _So cold… so cold… I don't like cold._ That thought didn't ring like it did for most, though… to her, it was a new discovery, filled with all the novel feeling that came with that. She tried to breath… she felt like she should, but the water only sank into her core, robbing her of what little warmth she had left. _What am I? Why do I need to be cold?_ _Stop the cold…_ There was something else… not quite a thought, but still pushing at her mind, demanding attention despite its imperfect form. One shock was quickly replaced by another, as she rose out of the water, eyes still dark and unseeing. She could only feel the strength raising her from her watery torture.

" **Will she serve?"** A sound… a sound with meaning. It came strong... noble. Something that made her feel comfortable.

" **She is wondrous…"** another sound… soft as the caress that came down her back, yet just as noble. **"She will serve. I expected nothing less."** As the water dripped from her body, Fi suddenly felt… a little more secure. Neither of them wanted to hurt her.

" **Well, she woulden't be worth much without your blessing, Hylia."** Hylia… that name at least she knew. Hylia was the white hands that shaped her from oblivion, her Creator. _Registering Creator._ She found coming to her unbidden.

Then, with a flicker of energy, her eyes opened.

The first thing she saw was the face of Creator. The divine visage was almost too much to behold; every feature was perfectly crafted and shining with its own light. Silvery hair ran down her back, matching the color of her silken wrap, eyes shining. Yet, Fi didn't feel herself threatened by it… indeed, it made her feel watched. _Those eyes… I like those eyes._

"Fi, my daughter." Hylia's voice flowed through the air, pure. "Welcome to the world."

Fi found herself lost for words, searching for the proper way to express herself. However, her mother noticed her suffering, and pet her arm softly, sending a wave of peace through her body. "You're ok, Fi." She smiled, holding their hands together. "I have very special things in mind for you and your brother. Would you like to meet him?"

Still, Fi couldn't find the words to speak, and so simply nodded.

"Eldin," Hylia looked to the side, in the direction of the strong voice. "Would you please bring our Ghirahim?"

"Ah, I will." She heard another sound… another sword raised. This was when she realized she still touched a sword at her feet, could FEEL her foot on her own body. The other sword quickly descended, its blade lengthening, hilt stretching into limbs… and there was one much like her. White and black… masculine where her own form betrayed her sex, a fire in the pupil of his eyes.

"Brother…" her first word came, ringing hard and hollow in the air. _This voice…_ It wasn't a beautiful voice. _I don't like this voice._ Her free hand reached out to touch him, her body still pressed into Hylia's bosom. When their hands touched, she could feel the warmth… her brother was good. Warm was good.

"Sister Fi," Ghirahim wrapped his fingers about her hand, teeth sparkling white as he spoke. _He is more like Her then me._ She analyzed, as he pulled himself closer, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. _This… I like this._ There where so many new sensations… her body tingled with them, the excitement of this world. "She is a beauty, mother. Father has done well."

For the first time, Fi looked over in the direction of the voice… but she could see nothing. "Well, what did you expect boy?" Brother was obviously reacting, and his voice was as true as all the rest, but it seemed as though she was blind to him.

"Fi," Hylia caught her attention again, as the two boys started to speak with one another. "Don't worry about a thing. Mother will protect you…"

And, there; she'd caught it.

 _Process Match Discovered_ … where did that voice come from? It was so, inhumane, even more then her own. Yet, even as she relaxed back into the perfect moment… her brother rubbing her arms, her mother holding her close, shards of it fell around her, revealing a dark gloom underneath. Suddenly, she panicked again; clinging to the Goddess for warmth, but warmth was not what she got.

Instead, there was fire. The shards where a chaotic mess; the scent of smoke and salty blood, the pain of acid eating away at her skin, screams of slaughter and terror… yet, for some reason, as they went on she started to feel the panic less and less. Though they grew worse; thousands of dyeing souls screaming at once, the taste of demonic flesh ash on her tongue, it was almost as if that other kind of thought was leaving her and heightening the deaths of others. Scenes flashed by so quickly, the present a novel concept, until time suddenly, abruptly stopped.

This was another interesting scene. The room was lit by low-burning braziers, the coals hardly glowing and filling the room with a sense of sorrow. Fi floated beside her mother, silent and still, her sword wrapped in clean linen. It had not changed since her creation; gleaming pure, firm, and cold. Hylia, however, had. Her wrapping was now a shredded mess, mourning black yet stained a dark, dreary read in places. The gentle flow of her hair was now tangled and clumped, much cleaved away, leaving her head exposed and ugly. Even her face, once glowing, was now coated in blood, soot, and tears, the later still flooding from her one remaining eye. However, she felt nothing; emotions only lead you to pain… they were not for her.

"Fi," Hylia's voice cracked, hardened from its former glory. "What am I doing?" The question was clearly rhetorical, though tinged heavily with sorrow. She took a few more moments to collect herself, drying away the tears with the edge of her wrap. "My husband is gone… my son is gone… my people might as well be gone for all the good I was able to do them." She shifted to a scream in the later parts, sobbing in between breaths. "You're the last person I have left, and even though he's gone I'm still feeding your life to HIM." The sword dropped, clanging on hard stone as she shuddered.

Fi's body moved without her consent, following a scripted pattern of behavior. "Creator," the voice again… _I still don't like it._ "Your previous estimates show a 90% chance of Demise finding a way out of his bonds in the future. There is no logical reasoning for not continuing with your current course of action." Every one of her words where sound, the meaning exactly. However, Hylia's aura shifted coldly, a glare into Fi's uncaring eyes.

"Logical…" Her voice stand, the fury of an immortal scorned coating every word. "Shot your logic down into the clouds for all the good it does me! Nearly everything I cared for has just been given to the fires of war! Millions dead, most of the surface burned to ashes… and to do what? Buy a couple hundred years' time?" This was followed by a primal scream, shaking the very ground on which she stood, the fires blazing to height. After that, however, she calmed herself down, taking deep and heavy breaths.

"No, child. That's pointless. He's gone." She accepted, picking up the sword and removing the wrappings. "Now, Fi, I want to tell you something very important. You must remember every single word I say, understand?"

"Yes Creator," The response as completely passive; that was what was expected of her, after all.

"Fi…" Hylia gathered up her wits, speaking slowly and purposefully. "Demise cannot be allowed onto the world again. Even with all the great nations united, built on millennia, and with the aid of my own divine powers, we barely managed to keep even the Triforce safe, as I was trusted. With my current damage, I could never stand against him again. This is why I will do two things to prevent his rising. Fi…" she paused for a moment, looking into the blade. "I'm dooming you to a great sleep. You will lose your consciousness, thoughts, feelings, for thousands of years. If the Seals that hold him imprisoned should ever weaken, and they will, you will awaken to assist the destined hero in his quest. Deny him nothing; he will be your Master, the man around which your whole existence will revolve. You will aid him on his quest to defeat the Demon… and then you will sleep again, thoughtless. Goodbye."

And with that, the Goddess sword has driven into the pedestal, and she ceased to think. Yet, one sensation remained… the touch of her mother on her arm, taking safety in sleep…

* * *

"Fi,Fi!" A voice rang from somewhere beyond the darkness, strong and comforting. The sensation on her arm… it felt so good. _Process Matched Discovered_. The mechanical voice started to pull on her, but it was the light squeal she gave from the wondrous feeling that brought her sight back, her eyes meeting those of her Master, who at this moment was rubbing her arm, a worried look on his face. "Fi," he asked once more in response to the sound.

"I am well Master," she didn't move, enjoying his touch as they just stood there, the vibrant life surrounding them. Cana had lead them quite a ways, it seemed. "There was simply and issue with my memory diagnostics. Nothing that should cause you discomfort."

Cana's smile came, her arm moving to follow his hand has he drew it away from her. "Whatever that means," he spoke happily, a red-soaked bundle of leaves tied noticeably ornamenting his arm, a blood police seeping from beneath. "Keep sharp though, we still have Zelda to find." Taking a few steps, he started leading the way forward, Fi stuck in place.

"Master," her voice was… timid. "While this goes against ordinary behavioral patterns, I feel as though I must be so disrespectful as to make a request of you."

Stopping , Cana turned about, shrugging. "I guess I can let it go this once," he half-laughed, trying to sound serious. However, to Fi's ears, he did sound serious.

Still, she forced herself to continue, floating forward to her Master's side. "It is my personal wish that I would receive the order to attend to my Master's hand. Is there any probability that such an order might be imminent?" The words came out…. But they sounded so wrong. That wasn't even close to what she was trying to express.

However, Cana welcomed it, taking his good arm and bringing it out for her. "I'd say it's extremely probable. Fi, if you would take my hand." He wiggled his fingers slightly, and Fi once again found herself staring.

"To obey my Master is the purpose for my existence, Master." And, slowly, she took it, feeling his hand wrap around hers and hold it tight.

It was warm. She liked warm.


	10. Chp IX: Enterance to the Unknown

"You know what," Cana mumbled to himself, cradling his injured arm. "I think I'm starting to get this."

On the ground before him, two Bokoblin lay dead, their still-beating parts oozing out a puddle of black blood. He didn't realize how rank it was compared to the rest of the forest; dirty and stale, until he'd gotten up this close. His nose wrinkled up now, sword hanging from his back, he was now given a chance to focus in on the object of the recently-late Bokoblin's attention… a plume of grass with an interesting being beneath it.

Though the air was still, the blades of the plant wavered as he approached, shivering with the body beneath. Cana approached it slowly, not really sure what to make of it. _This surface is so strange_. The temple, the old lady, even the goron he could understand. But, this plant… thing was just a little too weird for him. It was obviously animal-like; the mossy brown fur hardly passed for camouflage in the lush grasses, but it just lay there like shrubbery, making a light whining noise.

"Um… excuse me?" He asked. A few seconds passed as he watched, waiting for it to respond, the chatter of birds filling the silence, but it just stayed there. Wincing as he let his recovering arm drop, Cana knelt down before it, hand moving slowly closer to the main body. When it got within an inch of the thing, however, it made a little jump into the air, accompanied by a "Kwee-koo", before turning its head to the side, revealing its mask-like face.

"Don't eat me!" Its shaky voice begged, winy and soft. "I taste terrible! Like dirt and grass! You wouldn't lik-EEE!" The rambling trailed off as it sprung up in a panic, stubby legs hurling the chubby body forward and away, grass flapping behind it under an overgrown arch, disappearing behind the rise of a slopping plane.

It all happened so quickly, all Cana had had time to do was watch, his bad arm propped up on his knee, heart juice and blood still seeping out from the wrappings. Of course, he'd silently thanked the Goddess there was heart flowers here; a gash that would have taken a week to heal would be knit up and healed in a couple of hours… but the sharp pain wasn't something you go used to. It took some mental bracing to go through it again, lifting the limb up from his knee as he stood up, his eyes locked on the obscenely steep incline. Considering he'd almost died three times today, and it wasn't even noon, it just seemed to be adding insult to injury.

Staring the thing down, dozens of thoughts flew into his mind, most of them negative. _Why the hell did I sign up for this?_ was one of the more prominent ones, alongside _How on the surface am I going to climb that thing?._ His muscles tightened as he locked in place, half his efforts trying to convince himself he was wrong and the other half puzzling how to get over that thing. He scanned the clearing for anything he could use; a vine, sharp sticks, anything. However, all he could see was grass; grass, and a single heart flower: Not a lot to work with. _Its impossible to do this with only one hand_ his thoughts told him. _Even if there was something to grab, how would you reach for something else?_ He had to concede to the later part... but, something in his gut was telling him he could still get up this. _Zelda got through it easy enough, and she's a girl. There's got to be a trick to this._ With that, he could feel his body loosen again, no longer caught up in impossibility, and now the cogs in his mind turned twice as fast as he started pacing.

It took a few minutes, birds in the grasses and the slight buzz of flies starting to congregate around the corpses. First he tried gripping onto the stone faces on the sides, groping for handholds, but it simply was too smooth. Simply running up the thing didn't work either, aggravating his wound and sending him tumbling in the dirt, chest heaving for air. He reached back to grab his sword, thinking that Fi might have some thoughts… but seeing the sharp point, feeling the solid weight, tripped something in his brain. Awkwardly shifting it so the blade pointed downwards, he drove it into the face of the hill, with all the force his good arm could pull together. Sure enough, it disappeared into the soil… and he had his way up.

Digging his feet into the dirt as well, clumps falling into his boots, dry and silty on his skin, he then could pull the sword out, planting it in higher. Slowly, surely, he pulled his way up the hill, digging in and putting the sword a little higher each time, biting his teeth hard as he fought the slowly rising pain his bad arm. Its fingers where locked about the hilt, helping to keep his body up when he was digging his feet in. Each time he had to lift himself up, the agony came on, his muscles feeling like flayed rope. A light sweat was forming on his brow as he neared the top, the small, sticky kind, before he finally tumbled onto the top of the hill in victory, reaching back to twist the blade from the dirt. For a minute or so, he just lay there, letting his arm relax at his side, blade laid across his chest, smiling. Despite how good it felt, however, he made himself stand up, brush loose cloud of dust from his coat, and go forward. Slowly, surely, he could feel the effects of the juice healing up his arm, and to be honest now wouldn't be too soon for it to finish.

A few pillars of sunlight illuminated the path up ahead, massive mushrooms dotting the place. It was just another interesting wonder of the surface world… and something semi-normal enough that he didn't worry too much about it, other than beeing his nose at the wet and rotting smell the fungus brought to the place. However, what caught his attention was the strange creature, its grasses gone and seemingly replaced with a large mossy bulb, attempted to scitter its way up a bumpy cliff wall. It was actually funny enough to solicit a chuckle, its tiny limbs rolling over the surface. Taking a jump from the low rise, Cana started approaching it, making slow, flowing motions, treating it (I'll have to learn what it's called, he thought) as a wild animal. He kept his eyes locked on it, trying to make sure it didn't notice him…

When he felt a heavy blow from the side, sending him down onto the path.

A long strand of spittle plopped onto him as he looked up, the toothy, malicious grin of a Deku Baba swaying before him, needled teeth sharp and hungry. His throat tightened, swallowing reflexively as he crawled away on his back, far enough that, even stretched to the breaking point, the Baba's spiny stem couldn't reach him. Of course, that didn't stop the creature's eyeless watch, animalistic hunger apparent as it waited for him. His immediate panic dying, Cana reached for the Goddess sword, holding it defensively between his body and the plant. He shifted the blade, lining it up with the beast's mouth, before making a slash. Unfortunately, he realized too late that his grip was too unsteady, and the steel bounced uselessly off the rubbery covering, merely stunning the plant. He tried to line up another shot, only to swing in the wrong arc, missing the bulb completely and nearly losing his balance. Luckily, however, he found the stem, leaving the flower to cry a small cry before spinning to the ground, lifeless.

It was only then that he turned his attention back to the creature, only to see it wasn't working at the cliff face anymore. Instead, it was looking at the dead Baba, little tan eyes squinted in confusion.

"You kill Baba's?" It seemed to ask itself, approaching Cana timidly. "Those red things don't kill Baba's… "It seemed to be coming to a slow realization, Cana sheathing the blade so as to appear less of a threat. "You don't want to eat me?" The thing was close enough to him that it hardly stood higher than his waste, hands up in an almost inviting manner.

"Hardly," Cana smiled simply, squatting down a bit so he could look at the thing eye to eye. " I don't usually eat things I don't know about… and to be honest, I don't know about much here."

The thing seemed to relax, stopping its slight shaking. "Well Kee-paleep!" It welcomed. "I'm Machi, of the Kikwi. Sorry for running away earlier. It's just," Machi started shaking a little again as it pulled up the memory. "You just looked really scary. I mean, I've only seen something that looks like you once before, and she didn't have a sword."

"Wait," Cana stopped him there, holding up his hand. "You've seen a girl run through here?"

"Well, yes." Machi responded. "She looked really rushed, blond hair, white dress… chased by two of those red things."

"Can you tell me where she went?"

Machi shook his head. "Well, no. I was a bit busy getting into hiding… as I said, those things are scary! The only Kikwi who wouldn't be hiding would be the elder." His eyes turned back to the cliff he'd been trying to climb. "I can get him down here, if you want."

Cana gave a nod, and Machi seemed to straighten himself up, taking on a stronger stance. Then, the sharpest whine he'd ever heard pierced through the forest, Cana's hands flying up reflexively to cover his ears and eyes closing. When it was done, another sound responded… this one more of a deep bellow, but still a definite kee. It was followed by series of loud footfalls, very loud foot falls, as something massive rose above them. It stopped for a moment, only for the thing to fall, shaking the ground so hard Cana could feel it shake the loose muscle in his leg.

"Kee-paleep Machi," the creature looked down on them. He had to be fifteen feet tall, thick like a stump, with a droopy mustache at least half a time over as tall as Cana was. "What did you call me for? Don't you know its time for my mid-day nap?"

Machi bowed… as much as he could with his shape, in a sort of reverence. "I'm sorry Elder. This creature wanted to speak with you… he wants to know about the blonde animal that came through today."

The Elder's hands stroked his side fur, almost like he wanted to reach his mustache., looking down on Cana with his droopy eyes. "Ah yes… what excitement," He seemed to perk up noticeably. " She was with us earlier, I had to rescue her from the red things plaguing us. What of her?"

Cana felt his blood flow into his face as he took an unwilling step back. The size of the elder, combined with his obvious strength, was rather frightening. He could kill people just by laying down for a nap. "Well Elder sir," he tried to formulate something proper, trying to hide the shakiness to his voice. "I really need to make sure she's ok. I'm kind of… responsible for her." Of course, the back of his mind prodded him, saying that wasn't true, but he was a little too afraid for it show.

The Elder leaned in a tad closer, looking him over as if apprising something, body heat sloughing off of him and the thick scent of fresh grass in his fur. His nose twitched as if smelling him. All of Cana's efforts where focused on keeping loose, hand slowly moving towards his sword, sweat welling up again, half from the heat and half from fear. "He's certainly stronger than the girl, and he's got a sword. But does he know how to use it?" The tone of his rumbling voice sounded accusing, but it seemed to be like that no matter what he said.

"Oh yes," Machi piped up, raising his hand into the air. "He took out two of those red guys at one time, without getting hit once! He even killed a Baba in the stem!" In a way, it almost sounded like praise… but still tinged with fear. The knowledge that he was at least a little threatening calmed him down somewhat…. But not enough to speak.

"Well, that is good!" The Elder pulled back, now only his shadow looming over them. " I think we can both benefit from this… if you're willing to help." The Elder continued to stroke, expectantly.

Suddenly, Cana felt his tongue untie, words rolling into his mouth. "I think I can help." He pulled out the sword, giving it a good practice swing. "I've beaten them five on one… a few more shouldn't be a problem." It felt really good to say that… that was something a Knight would say, every time he was asked to take out the sky beasts.

"Well, we'll see," The Elder reached to scratch at his back… struggling, eventually giving up and rubbing it into the cliff face. "Well, after I rescued the girl… Zelda, I believe her name was, I brought her here with me, tried to get some understanding of what she was. All she wanted to do, though, was get to the Skyview Temple. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have had a problem with that, except for that's where those red monsters that we've been stuck with base themselves there." His eyes turned North, supposedly towards this temple. "I told her how dangerous it was… but that girl just wouldn't listen, jumped off my belly and ran right into the belly of the beast. None of my people dared to follow her." He turned back. "But you, if you're as good as you say you are, I'm sure you can find her. Just head north… it's the only building in the inner forest, can't miss it. I'd let you across…" the sentence with stifled by a yawn, bulk shifting as he took a deep breath. "But I really need my nap. There are some vines you can use, but you'll need this. Consider it your reward for clearing out the forest."

Suddenly, The Elder appeared to lose his balance, body swaying forward. Cana quickly leaped to the side, just in time for the Elder to flop down onto the ground, breaking his balance once again. Having to deal with this on a regular basis, it was no surprise the Kikwi where stout…. At least, he assumed from what he'd seen. The bud on the Elder was no smaller than Machi's, though on his massive body it looked tiny, and it popped open with a motion so quick, Cana couldn't even make it out. Inside was grass, but also something else. Something… red?

Cana pulled himself up onto the Elder… his fur downy and the layer underneath giving, almost as if he was a fuzzy pillow. The grass was actually a little sharp, the blades making small red cuts in his hand, though not painful ones, as he grabbed onto his treasure.

"A… slingshot?" Cana tilted his head at the object as he pulled it out. It was good quality… hard but bending wood, with a light leather pouch. He'd had one of these as a child… almost everybody in Skyloft had, running around pelting friends with pumpkin seeds, knocking Stamina fruit from high trees, or seeing who could shot farthest into the clouds. But it was a children's toy none the less; hardly a lethal weapon. "But, how am I supposed to kill Bokoblin with this?"

"Is that what you call them?" The Elder pushed himself back up, almost miraculous considering his girth. "This isn't for killing. Kikwi are a peaceful people… we don't go around killing things. Slingshots are used for other things… for instance." He pointed above them, to a curled up vine in the branches above. "Take that vine there. Let's say one of my people wants to climb the tree by that vine. Well, he can use the slingshot to knock it down so he can grab onto it. Not every tool needs to be for killing." The Elder's mustache flew up at the ends… almost in a sort of smile. "Anyways, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Just don't stress that arm too much." With that, the Elder flopped down again, falling into a sleep.

Cana took a few steps away, in the direction of the temple, before turning back. "Thank you," he spoke hesitantly, waiting for a response, but received only snoring in return. Instead, he went on, sheathing the Goddess Sword. "Well," he spoke, half to himself and half to Fi, after a few more steps. "Good Luck."


	11. Chp X: What is Unknown

Living in a sword could be considered a very interesting experience.

In some ways, it wasn't that different from the houses humans used. In fact, in those was it was better than anything they'd come up with so far. The place kept a constant, pleasant temperature, removing the need for fickle fires or bulky blankets. There where places to rest; a great, lace-lined bed and a comfortable armchair, which kept themselves pristine and sweet-smelling. There were even windows with which to view the outside world, not stuck in one place but actively shifting across the walls as needed. All of this and more where divided into different rooms, just as they would in a normal house. If the humans of Skyloft ever developed dense housing towers like Lanayru, but with slightly worse technology, one of their homes might of look similar to this.

At that moment though, it may as well have been a dirt shack.

Fi lay sprawled out on the bed, cloak cast up behind her. Face frozen in position, she stared up at what passed as the ceiling, eyes blank. In her mind, however, her fingers where dancing, sifting through the entirety of her programing for any hint of "it"

 _Scanning commonly accessed areas for Resource Allocation Error 1.0_. That is what she'd officially taken to calling "it", that pesky flaw that had been a plague on her efficiency all day. Every time she watched Master, every time she should have been profiling his enemies or analyzing the environment around him, it seemed to pop up and distract her, rerouting her attention to less vital aspects. For hours now, she'd been trying to hunt it down with cold efficiency. _Master is the only one standing between Demise and the world… he must not be burdened with a flawed tool._ She may not have known what it was, or how it got there, but Hylia would never have put it there; it was detrimental to her duties…

 _But…_ something from the back of her head prodded. _It feels so good._

The scanning shifted to the back of her mind at that, bringing something else to light… embarrassment. _I exist to assist Master… insubordination does him no service._ She'd been feeling like this ever since she'd done the unthinkable; made a request. _Only flawed tools burden their users._ Her body warmed as they went along, chest tightening and body shaking… programed feedback for failure, not doubt. She'd wasted no time in fleeing into her home when Cana ran into those Bokoblin. So bravely fighting through the pain, so brilliant in the way he'd solved that slope, so kind in the way he'd put up with her neediness. _He deserves better than what I've given him so far… he deserves perfection._

 _Area Scan Complete. No threats detected…_ the search shut itself off automatically after the notification, returning her perception to the great wall of files that made up her memory banks. Each process was a waterfall of sorts, visuals and code flowing down in a constant stream, accessible by a mere touch. Some were glowing brightly with teal energy, others where dark and dim, but all made a light humming sound, just auditable. She found it calming, for some reason; a sign she was still functioning properly. She reached into one of the streams, feeling the data slid over her hand with a strong pulse of power, tenderly brushing the one file she cared more about then any other; the golden letter of her core directive… the last words of her mother.

"Deny him nothing; he will be your Master, the man around which your whole existence will revolve. You will aid him on his quest to defeat the Demon."

The embarrassment began to fade with this, mind resettling itself into her ideal state. Her face physically unclenched, body stopping the light squirming that had been afflicting it. _I will be perfection_ she directed herself, levitating herself off the bed and out of the room, prepared to face the world once again…

Then she felt something along her outer thigh, the firm touch of Master's grip, and the warmth of a welcome request.

 _End all remaining Data Scans._ And with that quick mental command, she gracefully exited her home.

* * *

"Just look at this thing bud!" Gorko gestured excitedly to the great metal block. "This is one of the biggest finds I've had in months!"

Cana paid close attention to the goron, goddess sword hanging loose from his hand. It had taken him hours to get this deep into the woods; hiking his way through miles of trail, crossing blades with a few more Bokoblin, and climbing another huge hill, and managing to get chased across a narrow ledge by bees, propelled by pure adrenaline. His greatcoat was slashed in half a dozen places, the cuts themselves mostly patched up from the heart flower pulp by now, a few welts from the beestings on his leg, and obviously starting to build up some swet; his left arm was now arguably the part of his body in the best shape. After all of that, it was nice to see a friendly face. "It is pretty cool," Cana nodded, turning his eyes to the strange object. "Except… what exactly is it?"

"I've been calling them Goddess Cubes." Gorko managed to calm himself down a bit. "According to the ancient texts, the Goddess put them here herself! Isn't that wonderful?" There was a distinct passion to his speech. It was the sort of way Strich used to talk about bugs, extremely interested, but not the point of being obsessed. " But I'm sure it pales next to the wonders she put up in the sky! There must be hundreds of these there."

"Well, we have things like these," he responded cryptically. Gorko just seemed so happy over this... and he'd really didn't want to think about Skyloft right now. "It just wouldn't make sense if these things were just sitting here to take up space. I mean, they obviously mean something." The smooth reflective surface reminded him of Fi… did they have something to do with her?

Gorko shifted his weight as he answered. "Of course there's a reason! The texts say they're here to help the hero of legend!" A ray of sunlight came through the trees, dancing red on the corner of the stone. Then, a moment later, the color was gone… was it just his imagination? "There was a little chant about it, if I recall." His meaty fingers went up to scratch his head. "Now, what was it again... Ah yes!" He paused for a moment to clear his throat, the loud noise startling a nearby bird, who flew up into the air. "Summon forth the light from a heavenly blade, and may that sword's master receive aid. A real brainteaser."

Of course, Cana found the solution almost immediately, quickly thinking over the short rhyme. "Seems pretty simple to me." He gave a short nod as he lifted up the Goddess sword, just to normal height. "You don't mind if I take a whack at it, do you?"

"Knock yourself out," Gorko shrugged. "I've already tried beating on this thing. Whatever its made of, it doesn't even dent. Just don't hurt yourself, ok?" The big guy took a few steps back, taking the opportunity to sit down and rest his legs.

Cana then lifted the sword up again, pointing the tip towards the sun. He could almost imagine how silly he looked for those first few seconds, like her was preparing to downswing a rock. Then, the energy started to build into his arm, surprising him with its intensity. The warmth that had come when he'd done this in the sky was replaced with an invigorating blaze, banishing the aches and pains of his treck in an instant, the distinct glow on the blade stronger than even. Gorko simply looked at in in a sort of enraptured awe, for that single second. Then, in downward blow, Cana let the power fly, the arc seeming to sink into the surface of the cube, sinking from the surface into the core. Then, with an almost heavenly sound, that core showed itself, feeding off the cube, before the pure radiance ascend, gone in a mear moment.

"Amazing," they both said at the same time. It had been so beautiful… like an angel, almost. Gorko quickly jumped back to his feet, running over and investigating the spot where the cube had been. "What happened?" He asked expectantly. "What on earth did you do?"

"Um," Cana struggled for an answer, his face blank. "To be honest, I'm just as baffled about what happened as you. I expected something completely different." _Like what? The cube spinning around?_ What an interesting sight that would have made.

"But… I've got to solve this." Gorko's looked turned serious as he lifted up a chunk of dirt, looking deeply into it and running it through is fingers with care. "I mean, what made this happen? Where did it go? How did the… but look at me, taking up your time." He stood up, shaking his head. "You still haven't found that girl yet, have you?"

"I'm working on it." He stated defensively. "It's not as easy as it looks."

"Calm down buddy," Gorko raised up a hand calmingly. "I wasn't accusing you of anything. I was just trying not to keep you too long."

Cana blushed slightly at that. "Sorry," he stated genuinely, sounding slightly sad. "I'm just a big high strung at the moment. Nearly getting killed will do that you." He finished with a weak laugh, keeping his eyes locked with Gorko's.

"Well, I'll just let you go then. Just remember to find me when you've got her, alright? I'm not letting you get away before I get my questions answered." He laughed alongside Cana, before giving him a wave goodbye and returning to the ground… for a second. "Wait," he called after Cana had turned away. "Think fast."

Cana turned around only to see something fly through the air towards him. Reflexively, he raised a hand to block it, whatever it was bouncing soft and harmlessly off his hand. Looking to the ground, he saw the projectile was a fresh biscuit, well made and flakey. " I usually keep one of these around for when I need a break from rocks, but you'll need to keep your strength up if you're going that way." With a toothy grin, he went back to his work, the spark in his eye readily apparent.

"Thanks," was all Cana could think to say as he picked up the biscuit, stowing it away in one of his pockets. "I'll just see you around then." With that, he turned his attention to the great building before him. He kept his eyes moving as he went, keeping alert for anything else that might want him dead, but the overgrown tower just loomed too large to ignore. It looked too out of place among the trees; stout and grey, despite the vines and lichen over it. It even smelled different; musty among the freshness of flowers and fruit. The strangest thing, however, was the door. It was massive, big enough for five men, golden surface tarnished but slightly with the wear of ages. It had an even stronger presence to it then Elder; not just large, but evil, striking a bit of fear into him.

However, if he was going to get Zelda back, he didn't have much of a choice.

"Come on out Fi," he gripped the hilt of the blade tightly. Sure enough, she leaped from the blade and into the air, her surface outshining the door and a small smile on her face. Her presence seemed to remove some of the seriousness from the situation, a little more secure in his own ability. "You called Master?" She asked, head bowed in service.

"Hey Fi," he greeted her, returning her smile. "You've just been in there a long time. I wanted to make sure you're ok."

"My current structural integrity is 100% Master." She lowered herself down, hovering just above the ground, eyes level with his chest. "I've been involved in routine maintenance." She took a close look him, before the expression on her face changed to concerned. "You've appeared to have sustained some damage. Is it currently causing you any discomfort?"

Cana's smile grew wider as he held Fi's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I can take a couple of scratches." With that, he turned to the door, giving it a good push. "Strange," he mumbled when it didn't open, trying again, this time a little harder. No matter how hard he pushed, the door refused to budge.

Fi placed her hands onto the door, fingers curving gently as she floated, light electrical jolts pulsing through the door. "Master, analysis shows this door is protected by a form of locking mechanism." She turned her head to him, looking into his eyes.

Cana looked back at the door with deep interest, running his hands over its surface, looking for anything. "Interesting," his brain grasped onto this new puzzle, excited by the challenge. He ran over each part of the door, jiggling the gemstones, tracing the details… but try as he might there was no hole. _If there's a lock, there has to be a key somewhere_ her reminded himself, walking about to view from different angles, Fi never far from his side. _But if they wanted to keep people out, it would have be somewhere not so obvious. Someplace bent on killing wouldn't think to look._ He ran a finger up the door, following it higher and higher… and then it clicked.

Backing up, he finally was able to see it. Nestled in a nook in the ceiling, was an obvious switch. It was all so obvious; that's why the Kikwi Elder had given him a slingshot. He slipped one of the bullets into the pouch, the old motions slowly coming back to his bind, as he pulled the elastic sinews, closing one eye as he aimed. It was so satisfying to see the stone shot up, bumping against the switch, and watching it rotate into place. The grinding of gears came from the masonry, the door pulling itself to the sides, opening up the dark, root-lined tunnel behind.

"That was pretty easy don't you think?" he congratulated himself before looking back to Fi, who hovered about a foot to his left.

"I did not doubt your success at any point Master." Fi bobbed there, still. "I was only glad that I was able to serve you."

The tunnel greeted him with a thick, wet smell, condensed water dripping from the ceiling and onto the stone steps, the glow of the florescent mushrooms fading into a hazy darkness. One could almost mistake it for a mouth of sorts, with the poor masonry on the sides sticking out as teeth. Of course, he'd known this was coming for some time now… and to be honest, it was far more exciting then scary.

"Well Fi, let's got get Zelda." He confidently took the first step onto the stairs, looking forward seriously as he drove himself into the darkness, the last of the sunlight now hidden behind the rising stairway.


	12. Chp XI: Uncloaking the Unknown

It would be fair to say that, after this, Cana's whole view on knights had been pretty much shattered.

Like any other child in Skyloft, he'd been raised on the heroic tales of the Sky Knights, the preceder to the Knights of the Acadamy that had been Skyloft's protectors for centuries. Baston the Fly Fortress, Winson of the Farthest Isle, and the charming Sir Falcus, among others. Other parent's children would speak with great passion as they spoke about the massive beasts they slew, the islands they discovered, and the beautiful maidens they rescued from the strange mages who once lived within the clouds. It made the questing career seem so amazing, filled with constant excitement and acclaim. It was those stories that had driven him to his desires for knighthood in the first place.

What they failed to mention, however, was that the beasts really tore a guy apart, mysterious dungeons could be extremely dull at times, and finding the maiden wasn't as easy as following her screams to the nearest ominous tower.

Cana rested himself against the wall of the dungeon, healing cuts in half a dozen places, gathering up his nerves. He'd been wandering Skyveiw for a little over two days now, plumbing its depths for any sign of Zelda. The whole placed turned out to be a massive damp mess. He'd slogged his way through spider webs larger than any he'd seen before, fought at least two dozen more Bokoblin, nearly lost about a foot in height during a scrap with a bloody for armed skeleton, and to top it all off he STILL soaking wet from flooding half the rooms in the place. Yet, despite the aches , pains, and running on only a few cat naps he had managed to catch in the less threatening corners, he also felt a strong sense of accomplishment, lifting his spirit despite his tired body.

In the end though, what mattered was that he was still alive and breath, at what appeared to be the temple's inner sanctum. A great golden door, nearly identical to the one he'd enter from, was all that remained between him and Zelda; at least, according to Fi's observations. Of course, opening this one hadn't been as simple. As if the temple's gauntlet hadn't been challenging enough to protect whatever was in there, he'd had to swing from vine to vine over a very deep bottomed pit just to get the key nessicery to open it. His hands toyed with the cold metal, the individual bars tangling with his fingers. He'd been pondering exactly why somebody would construct a key like this; it just seemed more like a piece of artwork, with the detailed inlay and precious metal. Solving such mysteries had relaxed him for as long as he could remember, giving his mind the opportunity to run free. All in all, this was probably the best time he'd had since he entered this place.

Then, unsolicited, his thoughts turned back to reality. His legs where still aching for rest, his arms slightly heavy, unused to the continual sword work and hanging on for dear life. However, when he tried to close his eyes for a short rest, all he could see was the frightening form of the dream-beast, needle-like jaws snapping and its feet spreading the darkness with each step, sending his lids back up for a bit of light. He still had a duty to preform… and he planned on doing it.

Taking a moment to steady his legs, Cana walked over to the brooding door, the great lock jutting out from the surface in challenge. Shifting the key to his right hand, he started to spin it into the proper position, his other hand rubbing the tightness from his thigh. Gently, he pushed it into its setting, savoring the last of his brief moment of peace, the object finally locking into place with a soft click. It was hardly a moment later when the lock cracked in half, the key disappearing in a flash of light, and the door swing in with an eerie creek, empty darkness once again standing to face him.

 _What on earth did these people go through so much trouble to hide?_ That was something else that had been bothering him as he wandered through this place. Temples where supposed to be designed for veneration, as an honor to the gods. However, this place seemed to be more concerned with keeping people out then allowing them to worship. He could only imagine what kinds of traps they would put in the inner sanctum… and to be honest, he was trying as hard as he could to keep those images out of his head. Still, there wasn't any point to standing out there, so he pushed the thoughts aside and took his steps to face the unknown… something he'd had to put up with more than a few times in the past couple of days.

His muscles coiled as he went down the passage way, preparing to spring at any sign of a threat. Each foot in the darkness, he became progressively less and less sure of himself, dark thoughts from the corners of his mind creeping out to grab at him. _What if that… monster is in there? Or a closing spike wall? Or…_ the list went on and on, a cold sweat taking to his face. The light from behind him was little more than a faint glow now, and in front of him was all darkness. _What I wouldn't do for a torch right now…_

Eventually, he found the end of the tunnel, his whole body tight as a spring and still fighting a couple of dark thoughts. He half-stumbled as he stepped into the light, senses flaring as he looked for anything threatening, fueled mostly by a vague sense of dread. The air smelled clean, fresher then the spore-laden rooms of the place. None of the surfaces seemed to be move, and there wasn't really anything else that could be threatening; just an empty room. The only thing that stood out was exactly what he was looking for; a door of pure gold, the emblem of the goddess lovingly embedded. He breathed a sigh of relief as he approached it, the thing almost radiating good. He didn't even bother to draw his sword, just taking one step after another, arms clenched in anticipation.

Just then, as if reacting to his thoughts, the door burst with a golden light, the intensity burning his eyes. Cana shielded them with both his hands, face turning away from the brightness. When he turned back, though, he realized with a sickening feeling that that light hadn't come from the door. Instead, he found himself looking at the side of a guy. What he could see of his skin was grey and sickly, his well-styled hair white as snow, with his gloves and rather formfitting bodysuit matching perfectly. His high –collared cloak served to extenuate his shoulders. But what really made him threatening was his sword; the sharp part pointing in Cana's direction, the dark steel blade gathering some sort of unholy mist. After an initial jump of surprise, Cana found that his arms once again wouldn't listen to him.

The man's sword disappeared a moment later,dematerializing down into floating black crystals, leaving the man's hand open and towards him, as if to ask for pause. "Well, who do we have here?" He coyly spoke, with a humored giggle. His motions where smooth as he turned around, pivoting around. His face wasn't actually that threatening at all; smooth, yet a bit chiseled, a bit of eyeshadow darkening his gaze a bit. Granted his hair was a bit odd, covering one side of his face entirely… but he wasn't really scary. "A scared little boy? Did you fall through the clouds by accident?" His tone was condescending, as if talking to a boy, taking a step closer. "I was expecting somebody a bit more… heroic. " Whomever he was, manners where obviously not his strong suit, but for some reason Cana just didn't have anything to say… because, to be honest, the man was right.

"Not that it particularly matters," he spun his hand dismissively, turning back towards the door. "You're of little consequence to me. It's the girl that matters to me… and I can sense her here. Just beyond this door." _Zelda,_ the thought quickly entered Cana's head… but still, he needed to hear more. He could tell by the way this man carried himself he was saying something important, even if it was just bragging.

"Hmm? You have nothing to say?" He inquired playfully, giving a conceited smile. "Well, more's the pity. I was hoping you'd be a more active audience. But what could I expect," he gave himself a fake slap to the head, as if having a moment. "I've been a positively uncivil host. Allow me to introduce myself." The man tossed his hair before continuing, Cana feeling his body relax as he listened, the rest of the world still. "I'm the Demon Lord who rules over this land you stand upon… the land your people call The Surface. You may refer to me as Lord Ghirahim… but I'd be willing to accommodate Ghirahim if you less of a man grown then you appear." He took a step to the doors, reaching with it for one hand. "So boy, do you have anything to say before I go on my way?"

From just that short monologue, Cana knew one thing for sure. Whomever Ghirahim was , he certainly didn't have good intentions for Zelda when he finally caught up to her. Swallowing what little saliva he had, Cana gave Ghirhim's back a glare, drawing the Goddess Sword from its sheath. "Actually, I do." His voice didn't sound a bit more confident, bolstered by the knowledge he was the one with the sword. "You're not getting to Zelda if I have anything to say about it."

Ghirahim stopped him movements, arm half outstretched as he chuckled. "Did you really just draw your sword, boy?" He asked, turning about once again, arms folded at his chest. "That was a foolish mistake. That girl is ours…" his arms went out, muscles still tight. "By right, she should have been ours already. We had her right in our hands when that loathsome servant of the goddess plucked her from us!" His voice was growing more and more angry as he continue, a vein beginning to bulge in his forehead. "Do you have any idea how that feels, boy? To have something so precious taken from you!" His fingers where twitching, something smoldering under his skin. The tension in the room grew to the point where he could feel it, thick and hot. "FURIOUS! OUTRAGED! SICK WITH ANGER!" Ghirahim's temper burst, his whole upper body flailing in rage, before he simply blinked out of existence. This gave Cana's system another shock, the room's light fading into an overcast shadow. Whatever it was, the sense of foreboding was now firmly holding to his thoughts, half of him wanting to run screaming and the other wanting to beat the living daylights out of this guy.

Ghirahim's voice echoed through the room, without any apparent source. "All these problems have really built up my frustration. Still, it hardly seems fair to take ALL of it out on you." There was another confident laugh, this time distinctly from behind him. Cana turned his head just in time to see Ghirahim's face only a couple inches away, his smug look taking up nearly Cana's whole line of vision, the feeling of those lips so close to his ears making him shiver in disgust. "So, I promise up that I won't murder you." Cana took a good step away from the demon lord, only for him to disappear and pop up next to him again, still on the opposite side as his sword. His legs refused to listen as something long, wet, and snaky climbed its way up and around his neck, sending him into another shiver. "No… I'll just beat you until you're just barely conscious, bleeding from a dozen cuts and whimpering for mercy. How does that sound?"

"Ummm," Cana tried to respond, still really freaked by that tongue display. "Not very good. I'd rather not." _Great, now you sound like a scared kid._ Granted, that was exactly how he was feeling right now, but Ghirahim didn't need to know that. Trying to compensate, he made a jump to the side, holding up his sword threateningly.

Ghirahim didn't even bother responding to that. Instead, all that came out was a laugh. A genuine, hearty laugh, tinged with just a hint of evil. The way it echoed through the room, bouncing into his ear from every angle, just seemed to emphasis its power. Instead of words, he made do with a powerful gesture, half flexing his fist and grunting to the ceiling. With that, his cloak going the way of his blade, leaving him surprisingly defenseless. All he could do with raise up his hand, forming a V with his fingers.

 _That doesn't make any sense_ He mused, keeping his sword held defensively at Ghirahim walk casually towards him. _I mean... he has a sword. If he needed it, why would he have gotten rid of it?_ That thought really struck at the pit of his stomach, the look for pure confidence on his face all he really needed to know. Still… the door behind him was locked shut, and there was no way to get around him. One way or another, he was going to have to face this. Driven half by fear and half by his rapidly-falling confidence, Cana brought his sword down in a powerful arch, trying to land a slash down Ghirahim's arm.

The weight of the falling blade seemed to carry his arm, imparting a bit more force. But, suddenly, it stopped; no sound of tearing or clang. Just stillness. That's when he saw something that made him dread; Ghirahim had caught the Goddess sword between his fingers, and was twisting the blade with a sadistic gleam in his eye. Cana tightened his grip on the hilt, trying to resist forces working against him, elbow slowly being shifted around. However, after half a minute, Ghirahim gave it a strong tug, yanking the shaft out of Cana's hands and sending it spinning into the air.

With an almost ethereal grace, Ghirahim raised his other hand, snatching the Goddess Sword up by the blade and spinning down, with the sharp end pointed towards its former master. "This is quite the lovely sword you have here… hmmm" He paused in his taunt, looking down to exam the blade, before letting out another powerful laugh. "Wait, YOU'RE the Hero of Legend? The Goddess has got to playing some sort of practical joke. She sent a half-trained monkey who can't even swing a sword without telegraphing his attack like a novice? How… quant." The tip of the sword dangled in front of Cana's face, cold and sharp. "Well, let's get this over with, shall we?"

* * *

 _Warning! Unauthorized usage of Goddess Sword._ The alarm screamed through her home, breaking her out of the trance she was in. She shot up from her resting position, body coursing with power. Indeed… something was different. A chilling cold was starting to spread through body, starting at her feet and slowly working its way up. Her eyes where wide open as she shifted her perception, attempting to open the widows of the Goddess Sword… but her commands came to no avail. Instead, they solicited a voice.

 _Ah, baby sister._ The voice, whatever it was, carried authority and strength, as well as a certain childishness. _It's been awhile, hasn't it?_

"Intruder," she voiced back, falling back to her deep-rooted protocol. "You are making unauthorized use of the Goddess Sword without express permission from Master. Please return the blade immediately."

 _But we've been apart for so long, I merely wanted to catch up,_ a sort of fake whininess tinted it this time… why did this voice sound familiar? _I have so much to tell you about. The new gig, my vacation trip to Eldin Volcano, the centuries of imprisonment under that accursed seal… all sorts of fun things._

"Identifying intruder… Ghirahim?" She was truly confused… while the creeping cold was hardly doing good for her. It felt so… terrible, the pain obvious in her tone. "Why have you stolen the Goddess Sword? You do not possess the authority to perform such an action."

 _It's just something I do for chuckles. You know that. Speaking of which, isn't it your duty to give your master important bits of information like that BEFORE he makes a mistake?_ A soul-penetrating chuckle filled the sword, the guilt feedback swelling up in Fi's circuitry… _I'll take that as a yes._

"You are correct, Brother." Her voice was audibly shaking, the cold creeping its way up her legs and into her belly. "I merely deduced that Master would not need my assistance. He is sufficiently strong, intelligent, resourceful, perceptive…"

 _Resource Allocation Error 1 Detected_

She could feel Ghirahim's grip on her tighten, almost able to see that wicked smile of his. _Really now? Well, he's good to look at, I'll give him that. Perhaps he's just weighed down by subpar equipment. A dog could do your job better, if you ask me._

"That is incorr…" Fi's voice stopped itself, her eyes closing in shame. Her programing would never allow the dispersion of such blatant misinformation. The cold was becoming too much to bear… she needed to see her Master, do something, anything for him, get a compliment or affirmation she was still working properly… ANYTHING. "Just, send me back, please," the robotic tone changed to something soft, weak… a mewing kitten. "Let me resolve these concerns. I'll be a good girl… just let me be warm."

 _Your squirming is delightful,_ Ghirahim just didn't stop grabbing… but then she felt his grip weaken, the cold just a tad less unbearable. _Just do a better job next time. I wouldn't want you ruining the family reputation._

* * *

Cana jumped to the side as Ghirahim idly tossed the Goddess Sword towards him, leading it to clang into the wall behind. He'd been dodging the demon's sword blows for at least two minutes now, taking a good slash to the leg. Man, that steel was sharp. His pulse was high, adrenaline propelling him forward, snatching up the blade in an unusual fluid motion. _Odd… the hilt's cold for some reason._ Was all he could think before making another assault, Ghirahim yawning bored as he raised his fingers to catch the steel again.

"When are you going to learn boy? He snapped with his free hand. "You'll need to have MUCH better swordplay if you even hope to,"

However, he was stopped mid-sentence by a punch to the jaw, Cana's fist flying up and landing a solid blow. Ghirahim stumbled from it, fingers loosening, leaving himself open to wide, unthinking slashes from Cana's sword. They were sloppy things; easy to parry if he'd had anything to parry with, but they were powerful enough to knock the Demon to his back, black shards bursting from his body with each blow, like sparks. Off his feet, he was an easy target for several more strokes, the dents slowly building up in his skin as he tried to swat away the pesky sword.

"Well, I stand corrected," face turning somewhat serious, he flipped over on his back, landing a powerful kick right into Cana's chest, sending him stumbling backward. "What you lack in skill you make up for in creativity. You have my respect. " Cana's vision stopped spinning long enough for him to regain his balance, seeing Ghirahim snap into the air, his sword appearing from nothing. " You'll now have the honor of facing me armed. "He took a practice swing, Cana lifting up his shoulders and regaining his stance, though the blunt pain in his chest was still a distraction. _At least one broken rib… did I seriously think I could beat this guy?_ His guard dropped for a moment, arms relaxing and sword lowering, Ghirahim slowly approaching, tongue running along his blade.

"Fi," He called to his sword, backing himself into a wall. "Fi… you can come out now. Seriously." Yet, she didn't respond, and with nowhere else to go, all he could do was watch as Ghirahim approached. His foot shifted to the side, bumping into one of the pots, sweating in fear… when his battle-addled brain latched onto a sudden idea.

"Come on, lady-boy. What are you waiting for?" The taunt came out more pathetic then insulting, his voice heavily tinged with fear. However, the reaction on Ghirahim's face suggested anything but, his eyes narrowing and smoldering, shoulders clenching.

"I'll give you a chance to take that back, boy. I've obviously frightened you so much that you forget where you are." The black blade was held out offensively, the point forward as if to skewer him, taking a few steps back with his feet braced.

To be honest, every fiber in his body was on fire then, the fear of death locking down everything in his brain. All he could do was reach down for the pot, packing it under his armpit, and stare Ghirahim down. Of course, that was enough for Ghirahim, who let out an angry growl. "You'll learn the consequences of insulting me boy. You'll be on the ground sooner than you think." With that, his legs took off, swinging back and forth, charging forward with his sword.

Like a cornered animal, Cana's instincts took over, the overwhelming urge to fight back all he could grasp. The pot was quickly tossed towards the demon, underhand so it rolled across the ground. For a moment, everything seemed to slow down; Fi's exit from the sword fully visible as she stared on in a sort of vapid interest. Ghirahim seemed to half float in the air as he ran, and the pot's bounces made low, sustained noises. His eyes where wide and buggy, watching as Ghirahim's foot hit the pot, sending his foot off the ground and his body out of control, his sword flying to the side as he looked forward in disgust. The sound of him smashing into the wall was satisfying… and the last sword strock he made into the Demon's back even more so, his perception returning to normal speed, as he let out a deep built-up breath.

Fi just floated there silently, Ghirahim sliding down the wall, limbs out. "Master," she quickly noted… though her voice wasn't very strong. "I detect all vital signs functioning normally in your opponent. Further analysis concludes all are active and he is indeed conscious. If I may be so insubordinate as to present unsolicited information. "

Sure enough, Ghirahim pushed himself off the wall, off balance as he wiped away a light trickle of blood from his nose, only a little worse for wear from running head on into a stone wall. "Enough of this," he sounded calm once again… almost polite. "You've put up far more of a fight then I expected from such an unpracticed boy. Just know I won't fall for your clever tricks again." Ghirahim dematerialized his sword once again, straightening his tussled hair. " I fear I've spent far too long testing and toying with you. The girl's presence is all but gone from this place… meaning I have no more reason to linger. I'll let you go this time." He took a few steps closer, Cana too distracted trying to catch his breath and rest his muscles to even raise his sword. "But just remember, next time you want to play with me, I won't go so easy on you. And, by the way," He leaned in closer, his lips next to Cana's ear, whispering in a smooth, seductive way. "I know all about that little Fi of yours, and I must say I'm jealous. Her though process is so complex and realistic." He let out a breath of cold air, running his hand down Cana's arm. "Have you ever wondered, perhaps, how realistic she might actually be… physically speaking?" There was an awkward pause as he backed away, giving a graceful bow. "Well, ta ta." With that, and a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

"Master…" Fi floated over timidly, kneeling to ground to exam his wound. "I apologize for not arrive sooner… I will accept any punishment you see fit to improve my efficiency as your servant."

His head feeling light, blood running down his leg, and utterly confused, all he managed to get out was "Later." Before falling to the ground, exhausted.


	13. Chp XII: The Good Girl

She watched, and waited.

The room was silent as she floated there, kneeling with her knees just above the ground, eyes locked on her master's form. His face tired, emotionless, eyes closed in painful sleep. It had been hours since he'd made a sound, or really bled, the only sign of his continued life the steady rising and falling of his chest, and the glow of his skin.

She wanted to touch him… oh, did she want to touch him. The urge was gripping her mind, hand straying forward on more than one occasion. To feel his pulse, to exam his wounds, to fix the damage she'd brought to him… but she couldn't. Every time she drew close, her arm snatched itself back, her chest heaving as the cold brushed her again… a warning. _My decisions have brought him nothing… I will not hurt him again._ All she could do was watch, praying silently to her Creator, running the odds of his survival over and over again.

 _97%... no, 98%._ From an empirical standpoint, his wounds where hardly anything to be this worried about; the odds where there would be some muscular damage to the leg, a few days bed rest with the right medicine… but even now, that accursed allocation error would not leave her be. She'd actively assaulted it every time it came, driving it back into the depths for a time… but it only appeared with greater force when it returned, bringing a pressure to her chest almost as painful as the cold.

It had been nearly eight hours since the battle, the sunlight having long since fallen behind the horizon. Yet, here she was, helpless in her duties. _Searching for acceptable course of action…_ the pain grew worse and worse… she refused to put up with it much longer, programed punishment or fault. Though her body remained still, her mind flew into a whirlwind of activity, scraping together every bit of instruction she had ever received, searching for something she could do.

 _A dog could do your job better, if you ask me._

That mocking still stung at her, a violation of her most basic directive. After he'd said that… she'd felt completely broken, suddenly calling her entire being into question. She was entirely at his mercy, her control over even her own body gone. Yet, when Master Cana had called her, all that pain dissipated. She'd regained her composure, forcing away the fear and pain and coming to face the world again. _Flawed or not… Master wanted me._

That thought alone brought back a glow to her skin, making the room just a little bit brighter. "I will perform better, Master." She promised aloud, placing herself on the ground entirely. Then, without a single thought, she leaned over, softly licking her Master's face.

It was only a moment later she saw the slightest hint of color, his eyes opening just a crack. Embarrassment feedback flaring once again, she immediately levitated away, keeping to her knees and keeping a close look at his eyes. Slowly, the crack widened, first in his left eye, then his right, a low groan rattling from his throat as he lifted up a hand to shield his eyes. In her mind, she was recording the way her Master awoke, like she would record a monster's combat attributes. _Eyes open one at a time, followed by early signs of unconscious activity. Then the limbs are stretched, to relieve stiffness, followed by a cracking of the neck._ For some reason, she found this all fascinating, each detail a new surprise.

"Fi," she heard him say, voice slightly dry. "What happened? Did I win?" His eyes where a little empty, still trying to gain focus, as he slowly shifted himself in his seat.

"You were indeed victorious Master," she pounced on his command, newly invigorate. "The Demon Lord Ghirahim fled slightly before you lost consciousness. You have been sitting here for exactly 8 hours, 7 minutes, and 49 seconds. Is there anything else you desire?" She never let their eyes part as he slowly sat up, pushing through the pain he was visibly feeling, right arm extending to the center of the room. "That thing there… could you fetch it?" He requested, most of his body still limp.

Dutifully, Fi turned herself around, locating the object of her Master's query. She did a quick mental search to identify it. _Heart Container, an enchanted object which is produced spontaneously after the defeat of an extremely powerful entity of darkness. Contains a store of raw vitality which permanently fortifies the user against damages._ Without a word, she floated as fast as her legs could carry her over to it, resting the weight of the emblem in her arms. It wasn't particularly heavy; her sensors put it at about 20 lbs, but with her fragile form, it was a heavy burden. She placed it reverently into her Master's lap, backing away to a respectful distance, watching with baited breath she waited to record its magic.

Master rested his hand on the container, taking a deep breath. The light started slowly, a cornea around the heart's surface, but it slowly expanded into a dome of light, the pure energy flowing out of the shell and into his body. As it did, his wounds rapidly began to heal; the bruises vanished into thin air, the gash in his leg quickly pulled itself together, his tight muscles swelled slightly with power. Even his eyes, tired and droopy, quickly shot up and glowed, shining with raw magical energy. Then, slowly as it began, the light began to fade, leaving behind a young man, completely undamaged, standing triumphantly.

"Yahoo!" He yelled voice energetic and joyful. "That was some really good stuff. I feel like I could lift a house!" He flexed his arm muscles to emphasis the point, which actually looked a little bigger than they did before.

 _Reaction noted… recording secondary objective; collect Heart Containers._ The joy on her Master's face was all she needed to see, her own turning to a big smile along with it. _Changing recorded definition of perfection…_ wait, she hadn't authorized that command. Still, it felt like it had come at the perfect time, and so she merely brushed it off, floating contently at her Master's side.

After a moment, though, Master stopped, his brow creasing with seriousness. "Wait a minute… Zelda!" He pressed the flat of two fingers into his forehead. "You said I was out for how long?" He looked over at her questioningly.

"8 hours, 7 minutes, and 49 seconds Master," she responded, still holding onto her smile. " However, you still are approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes under the required level of sleep for a human male of your age group from over the course of the last 4 days."

"Oh, come on," he pounded his fist in the air, visibly angry… pulling the happiness right from her face. "We've got to get going." Quickly, he set his way towards the door on the other side of the room, the solid surface fading as he approached it, and exited into the pale moonlight. It was surprising how quickly he had changed, the way he was dedicating himself to this. Of course, she dutifully followed him, hovering a few steps back, as the crisp night air swept over them.

They emerged into a tranquil garden, the soft babbling of waterfalls accompanying the cricket's chirping. Great pillars rose among a bed of flowers, giving the place a certain regality. The moonlight was dancing across both the water and her skin, making the glade appear as though it itself shown. For some reason, it seemed to settle a heavy calm over both of them, Master's face unclenching as he looked about in mild wonder.

"Its… amazing," he thought aloud, turning his head so he could capture the whole place. "It's so pure." He took a deep breath of the air, holding it in his lungs for a few precious moments before releasing it. Whatever sort of hold the spring held on him, however, what caught both of their attentions was the shrine at the far side; a small likeness of the Goddess Hylia, standing protectively over her symbol. She found herself subtly drawn to it… the memory of her mother's unwounded face floating back to the surface. It was so perfect, she refused to defile the place with speech, merely observing her Master as he moved forward, unsheathing his blade.

She felt the warm rush of power as he called up on the Skyward Strike, the movements of his hand subtly felt on her skin, guiding her to her proper place. She could feel the power in his downward stroke, the way the warmth left her in a pleasant wave. Then, she watched as the Goddess Symbol took it, spinning around like another she remembered, not so long ago.

Then, the voice came.

It echoed across the edge of her mind, playing out in ancient Hyliean tongue. The words seemed to come from the mouth of the Goddess statue, vaguely resembling the tone of her mother, except in a more masculine tone. Drawn to its power, she floated over the Goddess Statue, ripples forming on the surface of the water as she landed, looking out at her Master.

"Fi," he asked her, soft and still. "What is it?"

"Hyzli Oje Zi Na…" She stopped herself, catching the sentence in her throat, realizing she had spoken in Ancient Hyliean. Her legs crossed one another before she continued. "My greatest apologies Master. I have a message in the langue of the gods of old. Would you like me to translate for you?"

Master placed the sword back in her sheath, merely watching the ripples she made. "Go on, speak."

She centered herself before she began… the combination of his voice and her mother's bringing up a strange desire. She wanted to impress, to prove herself to both of them… to be beautiful. Her whole body coursed with energy as she bent herself over, preparing the most artistic display she was programed with.

All of her inhibitions where broken, conscious thought gone, as she let her body run free, spinning and leaping with all the grace she could muster. Feet never touching the water, she turned the whole pool into her stage, embracing the burning desire within her. The words that came from her mouth hardly seemed her own, coming in her own voice as they sounded from her head. "From the edge of time I guide you, the one chosen to carry out the goddess's mission." Her body propelled itself across the surface of the water, legs moving in an intricate dance. "The spirit maid who descended from the clouds must travel to two sacred places to purify her body. "You stand in one of these places; Skyview Spring. The other is known as the Earth Spring." She found herself hurling around the spring's alter, ending in a glorious spin, forcing herself on with all of her strength. "This second spring is hidden away deep within the scorched earth of Elden. The spirit maiden, ever mindful of the heavy task entrusted to her, has set out for this second sacred place. "The fire within her only grew stronger, its bindings tighter. She felt as if she could dance forever, for her mother and her Master, the feeling literally burning out from her belly. Indeed, she was propelling herself around for another lap when Master held up his hand firmly, singling her to stop. Down from the Goddess Statue came another stone tablet, long and worn, a perfect garnet embedded in the rock.

For a moment, she just stood there, looking at his face, waiting for some judgment. Master shifted the tablet beneath his arm, smiling softly as she cocked her head, walking closer until he was right in front of her, looking down into her eyes. "Such a good girl," he complimented her, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing slightly. "You really looked beautiful out there."

 _Resource Allocation Error 01 Detected!_ The alarm in her brain rang out, embarrassment rising.

"I am truly honored to have pleased you Master," she managed to get out, her tone slightly rushed, before she leaped back into the sword, shacking a little bit in her frame.

 _I make an adequate dog_ she thought to herself, cradling the fire in her belly. _But perhaps there is something to be said for being a girl._


End file.
